


Run, Coyote, Run

by fadedreams



Series: Coyotes [16]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hufflepuff!Reader - Freeform, Muggleborn Reader, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 30,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25217419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedreams/pseuds/fadedreams
Summary: “Come on!” Dean urged.“I’m mad!” You said angrily, kicking the ground. “I’m mad that people who think they’re better than us are trying to take over the bloody world. We’re good people! We’ve never hurt anyone and we just want to be left alone but they’ve gone and ruined everything. I refuse to let them win. I refuse!”Your chest heaved as you let out a harsh exhale. Leaning against the wall, you bit the inside of your cheek.“Feel better?” Dean asked.“Yeah,” you said, still out of breath. “That was bloody brilliant.”-Being on the run in the woods was turning out to be even more difficult than you'd initially thought.
Relationships: George Weasley/Reader
Series: Coyotes [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1516292
Comments: 30
Kudos: 179





	1. Before

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I would say if you haven't read the previous installments - you might get a little confused without the context. I'd highly recommend going to take a look at the last four or five (although, I do recommend reading all of them?) 
> 
> While I don't own any of the characters the story is my creation and all rights are reserved. Please do not re-post my stuff anywhere else without my explicit permission. As a gentle reminder - I'm following canon from the books and the movies so the plot lines will be mixed together. 
> 
> Thank you to my amazing beta: [notmykirk](https://notmykirk.tumblr.com/). She's awesome, check her out!
> 
> Lastly, two things about this two-part piece: 1) I messed up the timeline and by the time I realized it was too late to go back. Woops? It shouldn't be too glaringly obvious and 2) this installment is pretty plot heavy and the first half doesn't have any George/Reader - but, the second part will - I promise!
> 
> ** ** For some reason, the series isn't showing the next two installments. There are more pieces in the series if you care to take a look. **

“ _Oh_! Lemons bars!” You said to yourself, excited. Picking up two, you placed them into your already full basket and moved towards the cashier.

It was your turn to make a run into town for food and, you glanced down at your basket, you _might_ have gotten overzealous. In your defense, the last muggle town you were in had horrible items. You’d both vowed never to get that desperate again. 

“Good afternoon, find everything okay?” The employee asked cheerily. 

Nodding, you smiled pleasantly and tried not to encourage any conversation. Most people tended to look over you and went along with your silence. Ted always had more of a problem with not talking to any locals. You’d told him that you were going to end up doing all the food runs if he didn’t learn to keep his head down. 

“Have a great day!” She said, giving you your change back. You smiled again and grabbed your bags.

Stepping out into the frosty air, you shivered as the cold February air hit you. Keeping your hat down low, you concentrated on not bumping into anyone. You had to get to the dark alleyway you’d found earlier that allowed you to pack the food into your charmed bag. You could transform, without being seen, and make a quick escape into the woods a few miles out. 

It’d been almost a month now – that first week you’d both decided to walk as far north as you could and managed to make it to South Wales. The current plan was to try and make it to Edinburgh – there were plenty of woods on the way that you could both hide in. 

You made it to the corner and closed your eyes as you waited for the light to change. You turned your face towards the warmth of the sun. While it was still pretty cold, the sun had made a rare appearance this morning. You’d taken that as a good sign. Ted always worried, but you both figured that a larger town made it easier to get lost amongst the crowds. You’d both been on edge since you found out that the last town that you’d both visited had been swamped by death eaters. 

After another moment, you opened your eyes and kept walking towards the first alleyway a few blocks down. There was a fair amount of foot traffic since you’d coordinated your visit to coincide with the rush hour. Crossing your fingers as you neared the alley, you glanced around before sliding into the darkness.

You crouched behind a large garbage bin and placed your bag on the floor. With a bit of a struggle, you manage to shove all six grocery bags into your small one. You lifted it gently and wrapped it around your shoulder. With another quick glance, you let out a relieved sigh. 

_So far so good._

Wrapping a hand around the strap, a sudden warmth caught your attention. You looked down at your bracelet, the one you shared with George, and watched the silver metal glow. Smiling sadly, you trailed your index finger down the metal and sighed when it went cool. 

You’d missed George more than you ever had before. During your first week, the bracelet had been glowing so consistently that you were worried it’d give you away. Now, he usually sent a reminder every few hours. You checked the time and frowned; he should still be at the shop. 

_The letters._

You had dropped off letters at the local post office a few days ago. Before you had left, Tonks had promised that she’d charm the mailbox at Muriel’s house so you could occasionally send letters through the muggle post. Remus would usually get the letters to George or Fred within the day.

A group of young girls passed closely by and you jumped, startled by their loud laughter. Pressing yourself into the wall, your breath quickened and you winced at the rough tug of the bricks on your coat. 

“Focus,” you reminded yourself. Checking the time again, you winced and transformed into your regular form now. Stretching out each leg, you trotted towards the other end of the alley and started running towards the woods. It’d take you a few minutes but it was the quickest way to travel unseen. 

Soon enough, you reached the first cluster of trees and quickly disappeared into their cover. You glanced over your shoulder and saw no one following you. With a deep inhale, you focused on changing your fur to a darker brown. With a quick glance down to confirm the change, you started your first run of the perimeter. You usually ran the few miles twice, both times following different routes, to be absolutely sure that no one was following you. 

Panting, you reached the familiar tree you’d scratched on your first night here. The trees looked empty but you knew Ted was waiting behind the wards to your left. You sniffed the air, trying to scent out the camp ground. Within a few moments you transformed back and stepped through the right set of trees. The wards rippled as they let you through.

Sure enough, Ted was sitting on a log with his signature smile. “You’re late,” he admonished.

“I know,” you said apologetically. “I went to the larger store, I was distracted – it’s so much bigger than the last three we’ve been to!”

“Well, I hope you only got the basics,” Ted said with a warm smile, “we weren’t very low on food since my last visit and I wouldn’t want you taking unnecessary risks, Red.”

You rolled your eyes but smiled at the now-familiar nickname. Together, you traveled mostly in coyote form. You’d crossed paths with a few other muggleborns and wizards in hiding. It seemed safer to pretend as if he were traveling alone with his pet dog. 

Much like Badger, Ted had taken to calling you Red so he never accidentally used your real name. He’d gotten a good laugh when a passing traveler had pointed out the irony of a wizard named Ted with a dog named Red. 

“We sound like a kid’s show,” you’d told him.

He’d only laugh. “A _fun_ kid’s show!”

You dug through your bag for a few moments as Ted told you what’d you missed on the radio while you were gone. Finally, you wrapped your hand around what you were looking for. Bringing your arm out you watched as Ted’s eyes brightened.

“Look what I found,” you sang.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” He said, laughing delightedly.

Huffing, you tossed him the package of his favorite biscuits. “It’s been four weeks, old man. If a bag of biscuits will make you happy, it’s no trouble.”

While Ted had insisted on calling you Red, you’d demanded for a nickname in return. Indulging you, he’d jokingly offered up old man.

_“Old man?” You asked, confused._

_Ted laughed deeply. “Because we’re a kid’s show,” he explained, eyes alight. “The old man, Ted and his loyal dog Red.”_

And so – the nickname had stuck. 

Ted smiled at you, his eyes crinkling. “You’re a good apple. Come on now, it’s time for Potterwatch. It’s been a few days since their last broadcast, we should check today.”

You nodded and followed him into the small brown tent you’d set up. “Have you double checked the wards?” You asked him. 

“Triple checked. A few muggles past looking a little lost–”

“Please tell me you did not help them,” you groaned.

“I didn’t!” Ted huffed. “I only made that mistake _once_.”

You bit your cheek to hide your smile, but you couldn’t help but be endeared by Ted’s sincerity. He was clever and one of the smartest wizards you’d ever known, but was so incredibly kind, you sometimes couldn’t fathom it. 

“If you’re done laughing at me,” Ted said, smiling, “I’ve made your favorite. Come on, before it gets cold.”

You grabbed your plate and settled into the large purple chair on the left of the fire. Turning the radio on, you adjusted the channels until you hit the right one. 

“Oh, what’s the password?” You asked, trying to remember.

“It’s _Albus_ ,” Ted said from the kitchen, he hurried into the living room and sat in his plush green chair, to the right of the fire. He waved his wand and sure enough, Lee’s voice filtered in through the radio. Quickly after, Kingsley’s low voice followed.

As usual, you felt a wave of sadness hit you – imagining Lee’s signature mischievous smile and Kingsley’s solemn expression made you miss home more than you could explain.

Ted reached over and squeezed your hand. “We’re doing it for them,” he said softly, “it’ll all turn out alright, you wait and see.”

Smiling, you squeezed his hand back. In the past few weeks, you’d grown incredibly fond of Ted and his way of always knowing when you needed a little comfort. He reminded you a lot of your dad, a fact you tried not to think too much about.

An hour later, Lee thanked Kingsley for being on the show and signed off. You smiled sadly, placing a hand on the small radio and, once again, hoping that everyone you knew was okay. 

“It’s my turn to keep an eye out tonight, you should get some rest. I think we’ll need to move deeper into the forest tomorrow,” Ted said, taking a look at the map. 

You picked up the dishes and dropped them into the sink. You’d do them in the morning. 

“I agree, we’ve been here a week already.” You chewed on your lip. “Maybe we should start trying to go north again.”

“North?” Ted said, frowning, “we’ll run into more people there.”

Shrugging, you sighed deeply. “We can’t keep trying to stay close to the shadows, not if we want to get to Loch Lomond.” 

Ted smiled sadly and nodded. “Alright then,” he stood and walked over to the front of the tent. “We’ll take our leave in a few days.”

* * *

Sure enough, you run into your first set of travelers the day you leave your camp. 

You’d growled, scared, when they apparated a few yards away from you two. Ted had hurried to your side and raised his wand within moments. You were both still tense from the surprise. 

They were young, with genuine smiles, and offered to travel with Ted. 

“I’m alright, I’m heading West,” Ted had said. 

“Isn’t it lonely?” The young man had asked, frowning.

Ted grinned, running a calming hand down your neck. “No, my boy Red here keeps me company.”

A few moments after you’d parted ways, you had transformed back and glanced around cautiously. “Let’s apparate,” you said quietly, “I don’t trust them.”

“Oh, come now,” Ted said, huffing. 

You shot him a pointed look and reached out for his elbow. “Let’s _go_ , old man.”

“Alright,” Ted sighed, “let’s hope we don’t land on anyone.”

Within moments, you were surrounded by a new set of trees and back onto four feet. Sniffing the air, you pawed at your nose – a sign that everything was clear.

Ted nodded and slid his pack higher onto his shoulder. “Come on,” he said, scratching your ears. “I’ve only just moved us ahead a kilometer. We’ve got more to walk.”

Scouting ahead, like you usually did, you trotted back towards Ted. He smiled and pulled out his map. “We should be able to make camp here,” he tapped on the map, “it’s a few hours away.”

You snorted and nudged him forward. 

Ted laughed, his eyes crinkling into their familiar crescent moons. “I’m going, I’m going,” he said, tucking the map back into his pack. “Now, where were we last time?”

Closing your eyes for a moment, you felt a sharp tug along your spine. Looking down at your paws you shot Ted a triumphant look when your dark brown fur had successfully turned a light chestnut color. You’d always been good at transfiguring your fur from one color to another. You, however, were not the best at subtle changes. 

“Brilliant!” Ted clapped. The genuine excitement in his voice made you smile. Ted was always sincere in what he said, something you’d come to realize was rare in a person – much less a wizard. 

“You’re a very good study, you know,” he said, strengthening the muffling charm on you both. “Tonks was a natural, but she was a baby! You’re quite good considering how late you started. Now, Red, try to focus on eye color. Let’s try for yellow, shall we?”

Most of your walking was spent this way – Ted teaching you something with an enthusiastic attitude. Like clockwork, as the sun started to set, you arrived at your new campsite. 

Dropping his pack, Ted put his hands on his hips and smiled. “Well, this looks like a perfectly comfortable place. Don’t you think?”

Huffing, you sniffed the air and transformed. “Yeah, right luxury lodging this is.” You smiled as he guffawed at your dry tone and went about placing the wards up.

Within moments, you were set up and feeling less tension in your shoulders now that you had something to hide behind. 

“Your suite is all set up, ma’am,” Ted joked, taking a little bow. “Record time, if I do say so myself.”

Smiling, you pretended to inspect the structural balance of it. “Right, perfect posture but I’ve got to deduct for the use of magic.” 

“What?” Ted exclaimed, throwing his hands up. “That’s rubbish.”

“Hey, I don’t make the rules,” you said, failing at holding in your laughter. “The judges will deliberate and get back to you shortly.”

“ _Rubbish_ ,” Ted repeated, ducking into the tent with a flourish. 

You chuckled and turned back to give the wards a last check.

“The wards are fine, like they always are, come on!” Ted called out. You rolled your eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, missy! Come on, all the snatchers in the country are going find us if your stomach keeps rumbling that loudly.”

You couldn’t help the wide grin that erupted on your face and you walked into the tent.

“You know, a true gentleman wouldn’t comment on the sounds my stomach makes,” you said primly, sitting at the table. “Considering I bought you those biscuits yesterday and you’ve already gobbled them up.”

“I offered you one!” He exclaimed from the kitchen, stirring the levitating pot.

Hiding your laughter, you watched him bounce around the kitchen, adding a few things in before tasting it. He grinned. “My talents are being wasted. Just you wait, I’ll be a head chef somewhere once this is all over.”

“Of course,” you said seriously, nodding. He winked at you and continued to stir the pot. You watched him, his light heartedness a stark contrast to the serious nature of Tonks’ mother. They were both very kind, despite her family, but Ted had always been more outspoken. The more time you spent with him, the more you realized that Tonks was practically his twin. 

Smiling, you tried to picture how big she’d gotten – if she’d started to feel the kicks any harder. She had managed to get you a letter a few days ago. Her owl, Midnight, found Ted wherever he was. She’d written about the baby and how much she’d wished you were there with her. 

“Oops!” Ted muttered to himself, frowning at the knocked over spices, and successfully bringing you out of your thoughts. 

You waved your wand and the dried leaves floated back into their jar. “Thank you,” Ted said, his focus on the chicken he’d started cooking. “Now you know I can’t work with this dead air. Get the radio, will you?” 

Watching him, you felt the familiar sadness that came with acknowledging the fact that he reminded you so much of your own father. Before you could let that thought pull you any deeper, you glanced around for the small blue radio Ted had brought. Turning the dials, you landed on his favorite music station. 

“How are you?” Ted asked, turning the fire on the stove off and letting the table set itself. Every few days, he’d turn and ask how you were feeling. 

It was always a weighted question – how _did_ you feel?

The soft music in the background reminded you of the music your mum would play when she was working from home. Indulging yourself, you closed your eyes and thought of what they might be doing. 

Were they eating supper with your aunt? Did the sight of your cousins stir any memories you might have missed? The ever-present ache in your chest deepened and you wrung your hands together. 

“Did we walk too far?” He asked, his head still turned away from you. “I know you’re starting to tire of transforming.”

Remus had warned you that the longer you spent as a coyote, the more… _canine_ your instincts would become. He’d mentioned that it’d be good to spend any spare moment on two feet instead of four. 

“It’s alright,” you told him, and it was. “I’m just tired.”

Finally sitting at the table, he got a good look at your face and you frowned when he did.

“Come on,” he said quietly, “it’s not good to keep it bottled in, remember?”

Sighing, you picked up your fork and pushed the rice around on your plate. You hadn’t taken to camping very well at first. At the beginning, you’d tell Ted you were running the perimeter before bed, as a precaution, but you were usually panicking in the darkness. On a particularly bad day, he’d followed you out into the woods and found you crying against a tree stump. 

_“Oh, dear,” he said, bringing his arms around you. “What is it? Is it the camp site?”_

_“It’s so quiet out here,” you replied, sobbing into his shoulder. “I miss them, I miss all of them. I don’t…I don’t want to die in this forest. I don’t want to give them the satisfaction of winning.”_

_“Hey, we’re not dying in this stupid old forest. They’ll never win, because the hate they have in their souls – that type of hate doesn’t win, not even in death,” he said quietly. “Besides, you’re not alone, I’m not much, just an old man, but you’ve got me. Alright?”_

_You nodded; eyes filled with tears. He brushed them aside, waited until you were ready, and walked you back to the campsite._

From the moment he’d accepted your offer to go on the run together, you knew you could trust him. However, that night, you realized you _wanted_ to trust him. 

A loud, sharp, trumpet solo startled you out of the memory. Glancing up, you saw Ted chewing thoughtfully on the chicken. 

“Bit too chewy?” He asked, huffing. “Dromeda always liked to be the one who cooked. When I managed to twist her arm, she’d praise the outcome. I’m starting to think she lied.”

You spooned a mouthful of food and shook your head. “Your cooking’s brilliant, Ted.”

He shot you a suspicious look but you smiled.

“Trust me, old man,” you said, waving the fork, “I wouldn’t have been letting you take your turn cooking if I didn’t like it. Which reminds me, it’s my turn tomorrow. Have you got a craving for anything specific?” 

“Yes, I’d like to know whatever it is that’s bothering you,” Ted said, pointing his finger at the space between your brows. “You get the same furrowed look that Dora does when she’s upset.”

Frowning, you let your shoulders drop. “It feels a bit pointless,” you said quietly. “We can’t run and hide forever. What’ll we do if this never ends? It’s been a _month_ , Ted. We can walk to the North Pole and we’d still never be safe from them.” 

Ted opened his mouth but you waved your hand. “I don’t really want to talk about it,” you said quietly. “I just needed to get that off my chest.”

You stood, taking your plate to the counter and covering it for later. The music changed to something classical and you glanced quizzically back at Ted. He was standing, a hand stretched out in front of him. 

“I think,” he started, “it’s time we got to your dancing lessons.”

“ _What_?” You sputtered.

“When we were in that town a few weeks ago, you saw those performers – dancing. You said you wished you knew how. Well, I’m glad to say I can be your teacher,” he said. With a wave of his wand, the furniture shifted sideways and gave you both a bit of clear space.

“That was – _professional_ dancing,” you said, fumbling over your words.

“Oh, don’t get shy on me now,” he said, pulling you onto the makeshift dance floor. “Now on the first beat of the music, a step is taken forward on the heel-”

You giggled, not being able to stop it from arising, but you couldn’t help your laughter at his sudden serious demeanor.

“Miss, if you could please,” he huffed exaggeratedly, trying to keep a straight face.

“Right, sorry,” you said, watching him as he shifted forward. 

You let him go through the first few steps alone, bobbing your head along to the music. You grinned as he stumbled on a stray pillow. He kicked it aside, managing to snag his jumper on the chair and grunted. 

Hiding your smile, you couldn’t help but think – if you had to be stuck out in a forest, constantly in danger, you were glad you had Ted Tonks with you.

* * *

It was late February when you unexpectedly ran into a familiar face.

You’d been walking north again and you were nearing the end of the day’s walk. 

“Oh, hello,” Ted said, flabbergasted when a tall figure stumbled out of the bushes. 

You growled on instinct, not liking that you’d been caught unaware. 

“Whoa, whoa, nice doggy. I’m sorry sir, I was trying to avoid being seen by a muggle family out camping,” he said quietly, gesturing behind him.

At the sound of his voice, your growling abruptly cut off. Ted glanced down at you and before you could stop it – you’d transformed.

“Red?” Ted stuttered.

“ _Badger?_ ” Dean Thomas exclaimed loudly, his mouth gaping open. “You’re – you’re a-”

“Alright, alright,” Ted said, glancing around nervously, “let’s not shout it out to the world. Come on, we can apparate a few miles ahead and start setting up for the day.”

You winced as Ted gently grabbed onto your shoulder and apparated you all away. As you landed, you dragged a hand down your face and groaned. 

“McGonagall’s going to _kill_ me,” you said, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Keep it a secret she said – s’been only a year and I’ve already told half of bloody England.”

“It was the shock,” Ted said, ever supportive, “don’t be too hard on yourself. He looks like a good chap. Come on, wards up before we discuss anything.” 

Giving Dean a sharp look, you raised your wand and started casting the protection spells. A moment later, you heard his voice join yours. Glancing at him over your shoulder, you watched his brows furrow as the spell fell short.

Sighing, you walked over to him and tapped his wrist. “Your hand is too straight; your movements are robotic. That spell calls for a smoother wave, like this.” You flicked your wand and watched him try to imitate you. 

“Like this?” He asked, trying again. This time, you watched the spell take place successfully. 

“Yes,” you said, smiling softly. “You’ve got it that time.”

“Cheers,” he grinned, his eyes darting to the ground. “I’m not great at protection spells. I was supposed to be practicing them this year.”

Wincing, you smiled empathetically and knocked your elbow with his. “I’m pretty good at them – or well, I’ve gotten pretty good at them. I can teach you.”

His eyes brightened. “I can stay with you two?”

You looked over at Ted, who was still setting up the tent and sighed. “If he’s alright with it and you want to, yeah, why not? You’re barely of age and you’re out here all alone. How did that even happen?”

“No explanations yet! Put up that last spell.” Ted reminded you. 

Straightening, you nodded. Right – you waved your wand one last time and felt the final ward slide into place. 

“Whoa,” Dean said, rubbing his chest. “What was that?”

“It’ll warn me if anyone with bad intentions is getting too close,” you said, “Ted discovered it in one of the _thousands_ of books he brought along.”

“Is she talking rubbish about my books?” Ted asked, calling out from inside the tent. “Come on now, it’s a bit early but I’m sure you two wouldn’t mind having supper.”

A wide grin almost split Dean’s face and you couldn’t help your laughter. “Come on then,” you said, motioning towards the tent. “It’s bigger than it looks.”

Dean hurried into the tent and you nudged Ted out of the kitchen. “It’s my turn,” you argued, wrestling the spoon from him.

“Oh alright,” he huffed at you, his expression affectionate. “I do quite enjoy your pasta.”

Rolling your eyes, you pointed towards the makeshift room on the far right. “That’ll be your room,” you told Dean. “Ted, are you sure you are alright with this?”

Ted tapped his chin, giving Dean a good look. “You’re of age I’m assuming?”

Dean nodded; his expression heartfelt. “I’m... I didn’t want them to come after my mum. My dad – my step dad – he didn’t want me to go but things were getting bad. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to my sisters because of me.”

Without thinking, you reached out to grab his hand. “We understand.” You turned to look at Ted, who smiled.

“Yeah,” Ted said, smiling, “we’ll keep him.”

Dean grinned, his shoulders drooping in relief. “I’m good at charms,” he said quickly, “plus, I’m a wicked good cook. My grandmother taught me when I could barely reach the stove.”

You smiled, imagining a small Dean Thomas. “I can’t picture you anything other than tall,” you admitted. “I think I saw you twice during your first year and then you just shot up.”

“What about you two?” Dean asked.

“It’s a long story,” you said, trying to explain it best you could.

Ted smiled when you told the story of the first night you’d left. “We both jumped at any sound,” Ted explained, “neither of us had ever been camping. Dromeda never had a fondness for it.” 

“We still jump at most sounds,” you said, taking a cursory glance at the entrance. 

“Have you been traveling alone?” Ted asked Dean, setting the table. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Seamus helped me ward up my house and made it look like I’d gone into hiding in Ireland. When the Ministry said Hogwarts was mandatory that fall, I knew I couldn’t go. There were sightings of death eaters in my town in January…that’s when I knew I had to leave. I lied to my sisters; told them I was going back to school. My dad wanted to come with me – my step dad – but I couldn’t let him. I left in the middle of the night.”

“You did the right thing,” Ted said quietly. “These woods – they’re no place for a muggle.”

“ _We_ shouldn’t even be here,” you said pointedly.

“Exactly.” Ted nodded. 

“Have you two – you know,” Dean said, frowning.

You shared a look with Ted and shot Dean a look. “You’re going to have to clarify for us what you mean,” you said, turning off the stove.

“Have you run into snatchers?” He asked. “I’ve stayed off mostly to the outskirts of a few towns. I was trying to avoid the woods as much as possible.”

Nodding, you sighed. “We tried that too but they're everywhere. We’ve been lucky enough to avoid them mostly.”

“A few weeks ago, we had a band of them walk right past us,” Ted chortled, delighted.

“He laughs, but I almost wet myself,” you said, chewing on a mouthful of pasta. 

“At the time,” Ted said, breaking off a piece of bread. “It’s funny now.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Are you registered?” Dean asked you. “With the Ministry?”

“No,” you said quietly, “Dumbledore asked McGonagall to try and teach me before he died.”

“Is it the same as your patronus?”

“Yeah,” you replied. 

“Brilliant,” Dean said, grinning. “You look quite big for what I thought a coyote looked like.”

“Really?” You snorted. “Tonks’ always teased me for being small.”

“Have you heard from anyone?” Dean asked. “Ginny, Harry, Ron?”

“Ginny is alright, as far as I know,” you answered, “she’s causing trouble for ol’ Snape. The last time I talked to her – she was worried. We think snatchers took Luna.”

“Loony-” Dean cleared his throat at your glare. “I mean, _Luna_ Lovegood?”

“Yeah,” you huffed. “I haven’t heard from the others since last summer.”

“I heard about the wedding,” Dean winced. “Did everyone make it out alright?”

“Yeah,” you smiled. “Everyone’s okay.”

“So, what supplies do you have on you?” You asked Dean. “We weren’t due for a food run but we’re close to – _oh._ ”

Snarling, you turned around towards the opening of the tent. 

“What is it?” Ted asked, standing up immediately.

“Something made it through the wards,” you said, transforming and darting outside.

“Wand up son,” Ted told Dean, jogging out behind you.

“What is it?” Dean whispered, looking behind the tent. Ted followed you, his eyes narrowed.

“Which way?” Ted asked you.

Digging at the ground with your left paw, you scented the air. Ted nodded and turned left. He stepped forward cautiously when a soft sound clued you into who it was.

You barked once and transformed back. “You scared me!” You told your visitor. “Come out now, I know you’re there.”

A breeze blew across your face as a dark owl landed on your arm. She hooted softly; her legs tied down with multiple letters. 

“Midnight!” Ted exclaimed happily. “How are you, old girl?”

Dean jogged up to you and glanced at the yellow eyed owl. 

“Whose is that?” Dean asked. “Isn’t it dangerous to send mail?”

“Midnight knows to take the long way ‘round,” Ted said. 

“She’s Tonks’ owl,” you said, rubbing her head before transferring her over to Ted’s shoulder. “She can always find Ted, no matter where we are. Although, to be safe, we should move earlier than we planned.”

“Right,” Ted nodded. “We’ll map it out before going to bed.”

“Come on,” you said, motioning back to the tent. “You two go back in, I’ll double check the wards.”

After a thorough round of the campground, you made your way back into the tent. The dishes had been cleaned and were drying in the cabinets above the sink. You glanced at the bowl still at the table, the one you’d left as you darted out. 

“I put a warming spell on it,” Dean called out from his spot on his cot. He was lying down, a worn book open and his pack on the floor. 

“Cheers,” you said, saving it for tomorrow. After that scare, your hunger had disappeared. 

“Ted left your letters on the counter,” Dean said.

You peered into the living room and by the desk, where he usually read his letters, but frowned when you didn’t find him. “Where is he?” You asked. 

Dean pointed to his small room, where a curtain had been pulled tight across the opening. You furrowed your brows. Turning back to your letters first, you plucked them from the counter and walked into the living room. 

There were three tightly packed envelopes. One from George, one from Molly, and one from Tonks and Remus.

You smiled at George’s handwriting. Tracing your name with your finger you eagerly opened the letter. 

_Dear Badger,_

_It’s been a while since our last letter, hasn’t it? Tonks’ says we need to keep it short since Midnight will have to travel far. Have you told her where you are but not me? I suppose not… you wouldn’t want to risk Ted or Tonks like that. I know I say it constantly, but I miss you. My bed doesn’t smell like you anymore – my jumper though, is still helping me cling onto the illusion that you might walk into our flat at any moment._

_We still haven’t closed the shop, much to mum’s dismay. Ginny wrote last week; she says to give you her love. Fred says he misses you as well and that it's his turn to write next. I could write for ages, but Tonks is already giving me a look. You know the one. I love you more than rainy days and chocolate frogs._

_Yours,_

_George_

_P.S. have I mentioned that I miss you?_

You pressed the paper to your chest. Your heart felt like it was broken into a million pieces. Some of the pieces were in America with your parents and the rest was back in London with George. You trailed a finger against your bracelet and laughed wetly when it lit up a few moments later.

You read through the other letters quickly and started writing out a response. You probably wouldn’t be able to get it to the muggle post until next week, but at least they’d be ready. Straightening, you got an idea. You walked over to your bag and stuck your arm into it. You knew you had packed a few of his… _aha!_

You pulled out one of George’s t-shirts that had long since stopped smelling like him. You shrunk it with your wand and added a note at the bottom of his letter.

_Hit it twice with a growing charm and it’ll go back to its normal size. Hopefully I’ll see you before this one wears off too._

Satisfied, you tucked the letters into your bag and walked over to the table to look for a new route you could take. 

A half hour later, you’d managed to set up a route when you realized Ted hadn’t come out yet. You walked past a softly snoring Dean and towards Ted’s room.

“Ted?” You called out.

When you didn’t get an answer, you waved your wand and the curtain parted for you. Ted was sitting on his bed, eyes red, and he smiled sadly.

“Oh, Ted,” you said quietly. 

“My daughter is ready to give birth to my first grandchild in a few weeks and I’m here, in the middle of a forest, with no way to be a part of that,” he said quietly and lifted the letter sadly. “She sent pictures.”

You took the pictures in your hand and gently flipped through the three Tonks had attached. The first were of her and Remus, beaming. Her stomach was much bigger than when you last saw her. The second photograph was of Andromeda and Tonks laughing at a small Hufflepuff robe she was holding. The third was of Remus and Tonks painting the room a pastel yellow. 

“She’s so big now,” you said, your index finger tracing their smiles. “I’m sorry old man.”

He smiled sadly. “I’m sorry too,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d sulk about something as small as this.”

“It’s _not_ small,” you insisted. “I miss my parents every day. I miss George and the Weasleys. You’re allowed to be sulky or sad about this - this _horrid_ situation.”

Ted huffed.

“Besides,” you said, bumping his shoulder with yours. “I’ve sulked more than my fair share.”

At that, he laughed. “Thanks,” he said, tugging you in for a hug. “I’m glad we’re traveling together. You remind me of her – of Tonks.”

“That’s just a Hufflepuff stereotype,” you teased. “Besides, she’s an Auror. I’m just a humble Healer.”

“You’re both so sincere and kind,” Ted insisted. “You’re both brave and have this natural fearlessness that’s contagious.”

Touched, you nudged him with your elbow. “Oh, stop it,” you said, standing. “Come on now, you’ve got a new dancing pupil to teach. Let’s see if we can convince him to help me.”

“You’ve got to tell him you got two left feet!” Ted called out behind you.

“Oi! _Rude_.”

* * *

The three of you, surprisingly, fell into an easy routine. 

Dean was more than happy to take over the cooking duties – which, you and Ted were more than glad to relinquish. He had a flair for it that neither of you did. You spent your mornings like you usually did, with Ted teaching you some transfiguration and more defensive spells.

“Did you want to try?” You asked Dean.

He shrugged. “Not yet,” he said from the tree stump he was sitting on. “I’m learning a lot.”

“That’s good!” Ted said. “Oh, if you’re looking to learn about some more defensive spells, I’ve got a book somewhere.” 

Rummaging around in his pack, he pulled out a small book and handed it to Dean with a smile. 

“Give it a read and let me know what you’d like to practice,” Ted said with a flourish. “Red over here has some good insight too.”

“Which reminds me,” you said, straightening. “Before we leave tomorrow morning, we should make a trip into town. Now that there’s three of us, we’ll burn through supplies quicker.”

“I’ll go,” Dean volunteered instantly.

Ted glanced at you and you bit back a smile. “It’s my turn,” you offered.

“I don’t mind,” he said. 

“Why don’t you both go?” Ted said. “It’ll make the trip go quicker.”

You nodded. “Give me your letters, we’ll stop by the post office on our way there.”

“There’s an owl post?” Dean asked.

“No,” you frowned, “well, there might be. We use the muggle post. Did you want to write a letter? Remus would be able to get it to anyone near London.”

Dean brightened. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” you checked your watch. “Is fifteen minutes too soon?”

“I’ll be quick!” He shouted, jogging into the tent. 

“Well, he’s eager,” Ted said with a sincere smile. “I like that boy.”

You snorted. “He dated Ginny a few years ago. We went to Hogsmeade a few times together, he was always funny. It was always a good day if he and Seamus didn’t blow something up.”

“Ginny _Weasley_?” Ted asked.

Nodding, you smiled at the memory. “Come on, hand over your letters.”

“Ah, yes,” Ted pulled them out of his copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and handed them off to you. “Thank you, dear.”

“S’nothing,” you said, looking up at Dean who had put on a jacket and a hat. “That was quick.”

Dean smiled. “I already had some of it written, in case I ever was able to send a letter off to my mum.”

“Alright kids,” Ted stood up with a groan, “I’ll be inside, waiting. Two hours, Red.”

You waved a hand in the air and handed Dean all the letters. You transformed and stretched out your limbs. You walked through the wards, the campsite disappearing as you stepped out. 

“ _Whoa_ ,” Dean said, awed. “I hadn’t ever stepped out while the wards were still intact.”

You lifted your nose to the air and sniffed. With a small nudge you herded Dean forwards. 

“Was it hard?” Dean asked, following your lead. 

Lifting your head to indicate that you were listening, Dean continued.

“Becoming an animagus,” he clarified, “McGonagall always said it was really advanced magic.”

You nodded and huffed.

“It’s _brilliant_ ,” Dean said, grinning, “I’ve never met an animagus aside from McGonagall.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Dean cleared his throat.

“Is the chain you wear around your neck your Dumbledore’s Army coin?” Dean asked. He brought his out of his jeans pocket and smiled. “I carry mine around too.” 

If you could laugh, you would’ve. It seemed like Dean wasn’t comfortable with silence. _We don’t know each other very well_ , you thought. _I suppose it would unnerve me too if we were in different circumstances._

The leaves rustled with the wind and you knew you were coming close to the edge of the forest and Dean hesitated. You knew the feeling – once you’d become used to hiding in the shadows, it seemed much more daunting to let yourself be seen. 

You led him to the edge of town and found the crumbling stone wall. You crouched behind it and transformed back. Pulling out a hat of your bag you tugged it low on your head and linked your arm with Dean. It always looked less suspicious if you walked with someone and with purpose. 

“Can I ask – why does Ted call you Red?” Dean asked, fumbling with his shirt. “It took me a whole day to realize he was referring to you.”

“Let’s go to the post office first,” you said, “walk like you know where you’re going. Smile and greet one or two people. They’ll assume they know you but will be too polite to say anything.”

He nodded and followed your lead. 

“He doesn’t really know me as Badger – not like you tossers,” you said, shooting him a teasing smile. “Ted didn’t want to accidentally use my real name when we came across others. I’m supposed to be his dog.”

“Does that bother you? Having to spend so much time in your other form?”

“It does worry me a bit,” you admitted, voice low. “At first, I didn’t shift back at night and I started…changing a bit.”

“Changing?”

You sighed. “It was small things but I didn’t like how it made me feel. I liked my food much more on the raw side, I start growling when I’m human, my senses feel much duller when I’m not transformed. I tend to forget I have a voice,” you said with a wince. “Ted had gotten worried because he’s a worrywart. He wrote Remus about it. He advised that I spend as much time as I could as a human. It’s normal for an animagus to gain characteristics of the animal they transform into.”

“That sounds rough,” Dean said sympathetically.

“It is what it is.” You shrugged. “Oh, look – it’s over there. Come on, we’ve got the light.”

You crossed the street quickly and made your way inside. Fortunately, there wasn’t a queue and you dropped the envelopes into the mailbox. 

“Hold on,” you whispered, “let me buy some stamps. I don’t know when will be the next time we’ll have a chance.”

“Two rolls please,” you asked the elderly woman behind the glass. You slipped your note through the slot and thanked her when she handed you the stamps. Dean stepped back so you could walk ahead of him. 

“Excuse me, miss?” She called out. 

You and Dean froze. Shifting so you could feel your wand, you forced a smile onto your face and turned around.

“Yes, ma’am?” 

“I’ve really got to say - you two make the _cutest_ couple!” She said with a kind smile.

“Thank you, ma’am, that’s sweet of you to say,” you told her, relief washing over you. “Have a good day!” 

Dean laughed nervously, waving faintly at the woman, and you rolled your eyes. 

“Relax, I’m only a few years older than you,” you whispered.

He snorted. “It’s more the fact that you’re George Weasley’s girlfriend that makes me nervous.”

You huffed and crossed your arms. “We’re on the run for our _lives_ , Thomas. I think he’d be okay with a small fib.”

Dean shook his head and laughed, loudly. You glanced around you, paranoid, but couldn’t help your small smile.

“Oh, come on,” you said, pulling him towards the left.

“I was always a bit jealous of you two, I think we all were,” Dean said, once again following your lead. “You two had it so easy, you know?”

“Easy?” You said, pointing towards the market at the other end of the street. 

“Yeah,” Dean said, checking for cars. “You both found each other before you were even at Hogwarts. Since I was a first year, I still remember you know – you always defended any muggleborn students against Marcus or Malfoy.”

“Because they’re _prats_ ,” you said, your expression darkening.

“But you always had a Weasley at your side – usually the twins,” he said, looking pensive. “I remember thinking how nice it seemed to be to fit in anywhere. People wanted to be friends with you in any house and any year.”

“I guess. I’d never really thought of it that way,” you said thoughtfully. “After Ginny – did you ever date anyone? I don’t remember seeing you with anyone.”

Dean sheepishly smiled and you grinned. 

“Oh, who is it? What house?” You asked as you grabbed a small cart for the food.

“Gryffindor, of course,” Dean said.

You huffed. “God, you Gryffindors and your house pride.”

“Well, it _is_ the best-”

“I will _kick_ you.”

Dean laughed. “Her name is Susan. She was a year below me. We went to Hogsmeade a few times but we promised to write over the summer.”

“And then everything went to shit?” You guessed.

He nodded and sighed. You bumped his shoulder with yours. “Sorry.”

“It is what it is,” Dean grimaced. “Oh, look chocolates!”

“There’s something else you two have in common,” you said, scooping up some chocolates. “You and Ted are going to rot your teeth with all the sugar.” 

* * *

Waiting in the queue, you felt your bracelet warm. You waited until it cooled down and rubbed the metal twice. 

“I know I’ve asked a thousand questions already…” Dean said with a sheepish smile.

“I don’t mind,” you said, smiling at his sincerity.

“Is that bracelet charmed?” He asked quietly. 

You hid your arm behind your back, glancing around you. “Yes, why? Is that obvious?”

“Apart from the fact that it glows? Nah,” Dean chuckled. “You’re always fiddling with it.”

“Oh,” you said, pulling your arm out from behind you. “It’s part of a pair. They’re charmed to glow and warm when the other person touches it.” 

With your index finger you trailed it down the front and Dean watched as it changed colors. 

“George’s will get warmer and glow on his hand,” you said, moving up as the person in front of you went to the next free cashier. “It’s silly but…it keeps us sane, knowing that the other is safe. We’ve got our own codes for things.”

“It’s not silly,” Dean said. “I wish I had something like that with my family – I haven’t heard from Seamus or the others since term started.”

You walked to the next cashier and greeted him. Soon, you were walking back towards the stone wall. 

“How is your family?” You asked. “Does your mum know much about what’s going on?”

“My mum knows a little bit. By the time I’d left, even most of the muggles could tell that something was wrong,” he said. “My sisters didn’t want me to go – that was the hardest part.”

You frowned and shot him a sympathetic look. 

“What about your parents?” He asked, shifting the bag to his other shoulder. You sighed and thought of what they were doing now. Probably out to lunch or playing with your cousins. 

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that,” Dean said quickly. 

You glanced at him quizzically and he motioned to your face.

“You got this sad look on your face, you don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he said.

“It’s fine,” you told him. “The Weasleys and my parents were very close. They were all worried about how it would look; muggles visiting purebloods. My parents didn’t want to endanger them and the Weasleys didn’t want to draw attention to my parents. They wanted us to go visit family in America, especially after what happened in the Astronomy Tower – but, I couldn’t just _leave_. I’m the only unregistered animagus we had. I helped smuggle muggleborn families out of the country. You should’ve seen what they did to some of them – it was awful and I needed to help in any way I could.”

“Hey,” Dean said, touching your shoulder lightly. “I understand.”

“I ended up obliviating them. They’re in New York City now, with my aunt. She’s been bloody fantastic throughout all of this. I miss them so much some days that it feels like I could cry for ages,” you said softly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again. I could die out here or just…never be heard from again.”

“You’re not going to die out here,” Dean said firmly. “Ted wouldn’t let that happen.”

You smiled faintly. “I feel guilty sometimes, like I could’ve held out longer and helped a few more people. I was the only Healer the Order had,” you said and shrugged. “I don’t know, I feel like I could’ve done more.”

“It sounds like you did an incredible job,” he frowned, “you need to go easy on yourself.”

You’d reached the stone wall and you took a moment to catch your breath. You opened your bag as wide as you could and Dean helped you shove the others into it. 

“It’s hard – living how we are now. I’m not good at being transient. I was… I was supposed to be doing something different,” you explained, frustrated.

Dean glanced at the town behind you both. “I know you probably don’t want to sound too whiny in front of Ted – so go ahead.”

“What?” You rose a brow, adjusting your bag strap. 

“Say what you’re too mature to say, I won’t tell and I certainly won’t judge you,” he said.

When you blinked at him blankly, he sighed loudly. “I’ll go first. I was supposed to be having the best last year of school possible. I was going to be the best chaser in my year – Harry Potter’s last year on the team – and I was supposed to have a good time with my best mates. We were probably going to win the house cup and the quidditch cup because no other house can touch us, sorry,” he said with a fleeting glance at you and started pacing.

“I had plans. I wanted to be carefree for one last year before going on to work at the Ministry or maybe be a teacher at Hogwarts. Instead I’m here, in the middle of nowhere, scared out of my mind that we’ll be murdered and my mum won’t ever know what happened to me,” Dean finished, his eyes wide and hands thrown up in the air. 

You glanced, wide eyed, at him.

“Well? Are you going to let me feel awful and childish?”

Frowning, you cleared your throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say everything that’s been bothering you,” Dean urged. “You’ll feel loads better. Come on!”

“Okay, okay…. I was supposed to be working at Urgent Care at St. Mungo’s. I’d gotten accepted – one of the few coveted spaces. I’d been working towards that opportunity since I was a second year,” you said, picking up speed as Dean nodded encouragingly. 

“I was supposed to help Ron and Hermione finally get their heads out of their own arses and give him a shove. Sprout and I had plans to overhaul the greenhouses during summer break and Slughorn was going to teach me a few rare potions on one of his trips to Diagon Alley. I was going to move into the flat above the joke shop, and wake up every day _happy_ and _safe_. Instead I’m here, a daughter with parents who don’t remember her, a liability to my boyfriend’s family, and all because I was born with magic. I’m so angry sometimes, I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“Come on!” Dean urged. 

“I’m _mad_ !” You said angrily, kicking the ground. “I’m mad that people who think they’re better than us are trying to take over the bloody world. We’re _good_ people! We’ve never hurt anyone and we just want to be left alone but they’ve gone and ruined everything. I refuse to let them win. I refuse!”

Your chest heaved as you let out a harsh exhale. Leaning against the wall, you bit the inside of your cheek.

“Feel better?” Dean asked.

“Yeah,” you said, still out of breath. “That was bloody brilliant.”

Dean grinned. “My mum always used to take me out to the woods behind our house. She’d tell me to yell and kick and scream all I wanted. Sometimes you just need to get it off your chest. You can’t float until you’ve kicked off your weights, she’d say,” Dean said. “It always helped.”

“Cheers,” you said, wiping your brow. “Shit, what time is it?”

“It’s been an hour and a half,” Dean said. 

“If we walk quickly, we’ll make it before Ted paces a hole into the ground,” you said. 

“Care to make it interesting?” Dean asked.

You quirked your brow. “Excuse me?”

Without a backwards glance, Dean took off running. “Last one to the campsite has to do two nights of watch in a row!”

“You’re cheating!” You shouted, laughing and running after him. The moment you felt the comforting shade, you instinctually dropped onto all fours and quickly overtook Dean.

“Who is cheating now!” He exclaimed.

You barked out a laugh and ran faster.

* * *

The three of you grew much closer in the following weeks. Dean reminded you much of Ron and Lee. You bickered good-naturedly and you had to wonder if this was what it felt like to have a brother. 

Your main point of contention was your rivalry between muggle football teams.

“There’s no way Manchester is better than Liverpool!” Dean shouted.

You scoffed. “Who has more championships?”

“Oh,” Dean groaned, “it’s _always_ the wins with you people!”

“Oi, kids, keep it civil will you,” Ted yelled. “Now come on, let’s get some lunch in you two!”

While Dean had become like a brother, Ted had taken the extra addition to your group as an excuse to mother hen you all.

As you all traveled further North, you and Ted showed Dean how to pick out Snatcher traps. In case anything happened, you wanted Dean to know how to put-up sturdy wards and how to keep himself hidden. 

Everything was going the best it could be, so of course that’s when everything got turned upside down. 

“Is this it?” Dean asked, glancing at the map.

You sat on your haunches, watching Dean try to find the spot you’d all picked for today’s campsite. Ted was standing a few feet away, visibly holding himself back from shouting out clues. 

“Wait, no, it’s here,” Dean pointed proudly.

You huffed and let your tongue loll out. Dean rolled his eyes and turned towards Ted.

“Am I close?” He asked.

Ted smiled and pointed behind your head. “You were clo-”

A muffled popping noise near Dean startled you into growling. 

“What?” Ted straightened. He grabbed his wand and glanced in the direction you were staring in. “Snatchers?”

You tapped your paws thrice. _I don’t know._

Dean quickly stepped in front of you, his wand out. 

“Hello?” A voice called out. “Is there someone there?”

“Let’s go,” Dean whispered, hand outstretched towards Ted.

Ted was already rushing back to you both, hands reaching out. When the voice stopped him. 

“Edward? Is that you?” 

You all froze. Ted blinked, surprised, and you recovered the quickest. With a loud bark, you circled the both of them. A tall, slim, blonde-haired man appeared between two trees. 

Scratching Ted’s right foot twice, you glanced up at him. _Trap._ You whined when he placed a hand on your head and shook his head once.

“I’m sorry?” Ted said. “Do I know you?”

The man took a step closer to you all and you noticed the large gash on his neck. Ted blinked in surprise. 

“Dirk?” Ted said.

“Dirk – Cresswell,” he said with a wide grin. You eyed him carefully and stepped out behind Dean. 

“It’s been a few years!” Ted said, finally smiling. “How’s the family?”

“Good, hopefully,” Dirk joked.

Ted laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, sometimes I forget we’re out here.” He turned to Dean and gestured to Dirk. “This is Dean Thomas. Dean, this is Dirk Cresswell. We worked together at the Ministry before I retired.”

“Best supervisor I’d ever had,” Dirk said fondly.

“Oh, stop,” Ted said, chuffed.

A small voice cleared their throat and you narrowed your eyes. You followed the sound and were surprised to see a familiar goblin standing by Dirk’s feet. “Oh, sorry, where are my manners? This is Griphook.”

Dean frowned, his eyes narrowing. “You work at Gringotts,” Dean said.

“I do,” Griphook answered, his eyes on you. 

“And who is this lovely creature?” Dirk asked, bending down to your level and offering up his hand. 

You barely restrained yourself from rolling your eyes and dutifully sniffed at his knuckles. You nudged his hand with your head and he gently scratched your chin. 

“This is Red, my dog,” Ted said with a smile, tugging on one of your ears, “couldn’t leave my best boy at home, could I?”

“Smart,” Dirk said with what looked like a sincere smile. “He’s a beauty, great coat. My girl is back at home, probably wondering where I am.”

“Hopefully, reunited shortly.”

Dean bent down, under the guise of scratching your side and he whispered. “Is it just me or is the goblin staring at you suspiciously?”

You huffed, nudging his hand with your nose. You shot him an uneasy look and he patted you reassuringly. 

“What an interesting dog, what breed is it?” Griphook asked.

“Uh, I – well, Dromeda got her – _him_ \- as a gift for me. We think he’s just a mix of everything there can be. Greatest mutt you could ever ask for though,” Ted said, placing a protective hand on your shoulders. 

You bared your teeth at the goblin, who to your dismay, smiled knowingly. 

“Which way are you going?” Dirk asked. “Safety in numbers and all that. I’ve come across a few other muggleborns myself.”

“Oh,” Ted said, looking flustered. “Well-”

“Where were you two headed?” Dean asked smoothly.

“Westward!” Dirk said, “we heard wizards say the further you get from England, the better.” 

“Ah, we were going North,” Dean said, a realistic frown. “Pity.”

“Doesn’t matter, we’re amendable, right Griphook?” Dirk replied jovially. 

“Of course.”

You ground your teeth and couldn’t help the growl rumble in your chest. Dean tightened his hold on you and you quieted.

“Unfortunately, lads, we haven’t any room in our tent,” Ted said apologetically. “I wasn’t planning on running into Dean here and with Red, we’re a bit at capacity.”

“S’alright!” Dirk said, oblivious. “We’ve got our own tent. S’quite big actually, if you’d like we wouldn’t mind sharing.”

“Well…I don’t…see why not,” Ted said, stumbling over his words. He glanced down at you and you shook your head. “So, how has your trip been?” 

* * *

“What if we leave before they wake up?” Dean asked, later that evening.

“Oh, we can’t do that,” Ted said. “Dirk is a well-meaning lad. He’d be worried sick. He might even try to get word to Dromeda. He’s a bit dim, but he’s got a good heart. Left behind a wife and two daughters if I’m remembering correctly.”

“What about Badger – _Red_?” Dean asked. 

“Right, that does pose a problem,” Ted said, pacing the room. “Well, we can put a charm on the tent! We’ll make sure only we can enter. It might seem rude, but that’s the least of our problems.”

“We can’t do this forever,” Dean said.

“It won’t be forever,” Ted said, “hopefully.”

“Edward?” Dirk called from outside your tent. You shrunk further into Dean’s room, completely hidden by the flap. 

“I’ll be right back. Both of you go to bed – I’m guessing we’ll all have early mornings.” Ted said, squeezing your shoulder before he left.

Dirk had graciously volunteered to take the first night’s watch. While you and Dean were suspicious, Ted agreed to keep an eye out regardless. 

“This is a bad idea,” Dean said, rubbing his chin. “It’s not going to end well.”

“Did you see how Griphook looked at me?” You asked, rubbing your temples. “He knows what I am.”

“Can he tell?” Dean asked.

“Goblins can see through enchantments. He might not be sure, but he probably suspects and honestly, that’s probably enough for him.” A headache bloomed at the base of your neck.

“Alright,” Dean said, squaring his shoulders. He dragged his cot out from his room and into the living room. With a wave of his wand, he conjured another dark curtain to conceal the room from the rest of the tent. He casted a muffling charm and a repelling hex. 

“What’re you doing?” you asked, following him into the new ‘room.’ 

“You can’t sleep out here alone,” Dean said. “Not with those two with us now. You can join Ted on his rounds and I’ll stay in here with you when it’s their turn. I don’t trust them.”

The lump in your throat grew and you felt an overwhelming fondness for him. His earnestness reminded you so much of Fred. 

“Does Dirk seem…trustworthy?” Dean asked. “It doesn’t seem like he’s too bad really.”

“I don’t trust Griphook,” you said immediately, “but, Dirk does seem a bit oblivious.”

“Doesn’t he?” Dean said, tucking himself into hit cot. 

“I don’t think he’d give us to snatchers,” you said, “he’s a muggleborn too.”

“Ted says his wife’s a muggle,” Dean said. “He’s got more to lose.”

You hummed, lying down on your own cot and sighing. “It is exhausting being suspicious of everyone.” You lifted your wand and muttered a soft _nox._

“Are you worried?” Dean asked. “We could still manage to make a break for it. Ted won’t put your safety above theirs.”

You shook your head and Dean sighed.

“Listen, if you get a nightmare again – just wake me up. I’ll make you a cup of tea,” Dean said, yawning. “Okay?”

You rolled to your side and glanced at his profile in the dark. Biting back a sad smile, you were reminded of another night a few months ago.

_Gasping, you shot up. You were heaving, your breath coming in harsh spurts. You glanced over at George and waited to see if you’d woken him up._

_He snored lightly after a moment and you lied back down. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to return to sleep, it became obvious that it wasn’t going to happen._

_You crept out of bed and carefully made your way to the sofa. George was a deep sleeper but – you glanced at Fred’s door. Fred would wake up if you exhaled too harshly. Both of them had been worked up recently. You didn’t want to wake either of them up – they deserved their sleep._

_Shaking your head, you tried to get the images out of your head. The nightmares were becoming more frequent now that you were spending all your time as a coyote. It seemed like all the horrific things you saw – the people you healed – those images weren’t going away any time soon._

_Your breath quickened and the familiar grip of panic grabbed at your stomach. You groaned and bent over, trying to be quiet._

_The door to your left creaked open and you winced._

_“Fred, I’m sorry,” you said tearfully, “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”_

_“What’s wrong, Badger?” Fred asked, sleepily stumbling to the empty spot next to you. “Do you need to go?”_

_You shook your head. “I had a nightmare,” you whispered, a little embarrassed._

_“Do you want to talk about it?” Fred asked gently._

_“No,” you said. “I just want to forget about it.”_

_“Okay then,” Fred said, springing up. “Let’s make you a cuppa.”_

_“It’s fine, Fred,” you started._

_“Oi, sit your butt down on the sofa. I’m going to make you the best cup of tea you’ve ever had then, I’m going to go get my notes so I can tell you all about the new product we’re getting,” Fred said, pointing at you._

_You nodded and sunk into the soft cushions. Within moments, Fred wrapped your hands around a hot mug and you felt your panic recede. You listened to him ramble about the logistics of this charmed toy for a half hour before you finally felt like yourself again. You reached out and caught one of Fred’s flailing hands._

_“What?” Fred asked, glancing down at your cup. “Want another?”_

_“No,” you said, reaching out to hug him. “Thanks Freddie.”_

_Fred ruffled your hair before squeezing you tightly. “You’re one of my best mates,” Fred said, “I’ll always be here for you. Whether you want to talk or not – the next time you have a nightmare, just wake me up.”_

_“I can make my own cup of tea,” you teased._

_“Pfft,” Fred scoffed. “I make the best cuppa in the Weasley family and you know it.”_

_You laughed and felt the last bit of anxiety leave you. You exhaled and smiled up at Fred._

“Did you fall asleep?” Dean whispered.

His voice brought you back to the present and you sighed. “No, sorry, I was just thinking.”

“About Dirk?”

You shook your head and Dean rolled over to face you. “About Fred and George. I miss them.”

Dean nodded, his expression understanding. “I miss my sisters,” he said. “One of them was always managing to sneak into my room. They miss me when I’d go away to Hogwarts so they constantly barged in when I was home for a holiday.”

You smiled at the image of Dean with four rowdy sisters. “How old is the youngest?”

“She’s eight,” Dean said, his eyes focused on the table behind you. “Elizabeth. I call her Lizzie because she hates it.”

“Like a good brother ought to,” you joked.

He grinned and nodded. “She’s the reader in the family,” he explained. “She loses herself in books and fantasy. She’s the youngest by a few years so she’s the only one who doesn’t know I’m a wizard.”

“Oh,” you grinned. “That’s going to make her whole life.”

Dean laughed. “Yeah, she’ll really never leave me alone after then.” His smile slowly disappeared and his expression sobered. “She didn’t understand why I was always home before I left. She knew something was wrong and was worried about me. I didn’t say goodbye – she’ll be so mad.”

You reached out and grabbed his hand tightly. “This’ll end, one way or the other, and you’ll have a great story to tell her one day.”

Dean nodded. “Let’s hope.”

* * *

You sat outside the tents, getting some air, and practicing your subtle transfiguration when you heard rustling. You turned around and stilled when you saw Griphook standing at the entrance of his tent. 

Narrowing your eyes, you found a branch nearest to you and started mouthing at it. They were all having breakfast in Dirk’s tent this morning. You’d managed to eat in your tent before transforming for the day. Dean had wanted to stay outside with you but Ted insisted he eat so as to not seem suspicious.

“I know what you are,” Griphook said quietly.

You continued to chew on the branch, leaning further into your canine tendencies. You couldn’t just up and run off, he’d know you could understand him. 

“I could’ve told the others, but I haven’t,” he continued, undeterred. “I’m sure Ted knows – but Mr. Thomas seems a bit oblivious to the fact. Cresswell certainly doesn’t suspect.”

Making sure to flash your canines, you snapped the wood in half.

“Now the question is, what is a witch doing in a dog’s body?” Griphook continued, undeterred. 

He sniffed you. 

“Hmm, transfiguration while already transformed. You must be powerful. What is your true form?”

You were about to snap at his nearing hand when Dean appeared suddenly.

“ _Red_! There you are boy, come on – I’ve got some bacon for you,” he said, rubbing your chin. “You should be careful when approaching him. He doesn’t warm up quickly to new people. I’m going to go feed him in our room.”

Griphook nodded, his eyes narrowed at you.

Without waiting another second, you turned tail and jogged back into your tent. 

“He knows,” you said, transforming quickly and casting a muffling charm.

“He knows or he suspects?”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” You asked, groaning.

“No, if he only suspects, we’re still one step ahead of him,” Dean said, opening the map onto the table. “Stay in here for the day, I’ll stay with you. Ted’ll manage to distract them. Let’s map out our next campsite. It’s got to be able to fit both tents.”

You appreciated what he was trying to do – distracting you. You nodded, letting yourself be diverted from your anxiety. 

“Alright,” you said, sighing. You pointed at the river that traveled east. “We should try to reach this river by at least tomorrow afternoon.” 

* * *

“I’m really sorry old man,” you said, staring at your feet.

“Don’t fret dear girl,” Ted said, his smile warm. “I know you can’t help it.”

You wrung your hands together and glanced at his torn trouser leg. Sighing, you laid down on your cot. It felt unnerving to be on two feet instead of four. With the addition of Dirk and Griphook, you had spent the majority of the week as a coyote – even while you slept. 

Dirk had come to call for Ted one night and despite the charm at the entrance, he’d managed to get closer than you had anticipated. You’d shifted mid-sleep and almost clawed Dean’s eye out. Since then you’d drastically increased your time as a coyote…. which meant you’d started to retain some of its characteristics. 

Dean liked to make fun of how you growled when you weren’t transformed. He’d pop out behind something to spook you. 

This time, you’d stayed up late at the dining table – making a potion for Griphook. You’d noticed while you were walking that his arms had a red rash on them. He’d scratched at it but hidden it when he’d noticed your stare. You’d fallen asleep at the table when Ted came in to wake you. He startled you so badly that you’d shifted and managed to sink your teeth into the cuff of his trousers before realizing and backing off. 

“I’m _losing_ it,” you whispered to him, “Ted, I’m – I’ve hit my limit. I don’t know how Sirius did it for so long.”

“Red,” Ted said with a serious expression. “I scared you and that’s my fault. You accidentally startled Dean last week and he almost jinxed you. We’re all wound up right now.” 

“But-”

“No buts!” Ted insisted. “Come on, you look like someone’s kicked your dog.”

You crossed your arms and let him pat your back. “I really am sorry.”

“I know dear, I know you are.” Ted stood up. “What were you working on?” 

Glancing at the finished potion, you moved to pour it into a jar. “It’s for Griphook,” you explained. “I’m almost sure he’s got a rash from a poisonous plant. Poison ivy or something else. Either way, this balm should work on a wide range of things.”

“Do you want me to leave it for him tomorrow?” Ted asked, grabbing an apple off the table and taking a bite. He frowned. “You really can’t pick sweet apples.”

You blinked. “Oi! It’s a little hard when you’ve got to rush!” You huffed at him.

Ted grinned and waved around the apple. “I rush through it too and I still pick out good ones.”

“Oh, whatever,” you said, sticking out your tongue. 

* * *

“Red!”

You opened an eye and found Ted sitting a bit away from you. Yawning, you popped your head out from the blankets and blinked at him. You tilted your head and tapped your paw to his leg twice.

_What’s wrong?_

“Nothing is wrong,” he said, smiling. “I’ve made sure the others are asleep – the sun is only just starting to come up.”

Groaning, you curled back into your bed and huffed when Ted shook you.

“No, no, come on,” he said, “I’ll give you a minute but hurry. Dean’s waiting outside for you.”

Stretching languidly, you took your time before padding outside. You shot Dean and Ted a look.

“We’re going on a walk,” Dean explained, grinning. “Before those two get up.”

You shook your head and turned to go back to your bed when Ted laughed.

“Oh, come on sleepyhead,” Ted said. “You’re going to follow this map and shift when you’ve reached the river. Take a nice hike, as a _human_ , and come back after breakfast.”

Dean turned to you. “I packed your favorite.”

“Come on now, it’ll be good for you. Off you both go!” Ted said, herding you towards the left.

Huffing, you followed Dean until you reached a clearing. 

“The river is on the other side of these trees,” Dean said. “Ted said it’d be fine to shift here.”

“I cannot believe you both woke me up at _dawn_ to take a hike,” you said dryly. “It’s all we do – hike.”

“It’s a _leisurely_ stroll with breakfast by the river,” Dean said. “You’re starting to blend together and that wouldn’t be an issue if you didn’t hate it so much.”

You had to reluctantly agree. “You’re right,” you said, sighing. “I’m sorry I’m being cranky.”

“Everyone is cranky this early in the morning,” Dean said, waving away your apology. “Come on, we’ve got a bit to go before we stop.”

“Which way?” You asked, pointing eastward.

Dean nodded. 

“Well then, let’s make it interesting,” you said, grinning, “last one there has to wash the dishes this week!”

You took off running and Dean sputtered. Your feet pounded against the floor and you glanced back to see Dean laughing. You dodged through the trees and reveled in the feel of the early morning breeze against your skin. 

A few minutes later, you slowed to a stop and panted against a tree. “Bloody hell,” you said between gasps of air.

Dean cackled and wiped sweat off his forehead. “Not so fast when you’re on two legs, huh?” 

“Shut up,” you said, shoving him. “I still beat you.”

“Because you _cheated_ ,” he said, pointing towards a small clearing ahead. “Let’s stop there, I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” you pointed out, flopping onto the grass. “The sun’s coming up.”

You glanced at the sky, looking towards the east. The deep blue was lightening with every minute. The birds awakened, chirping loudly at the sun’s impending arrival. 

“Are those croissants?” You hissed, almost ripping it out of Dean’s hands. 

Dean snorted. “Who’s the starving one now?”

You grinned and shook your head. “We haven’t had anything baked in days, where’d you get those?” 

“Ted,” Dean explained, “Dirk had some flour on him and Ted spent last night baking them. I managed to save a bit of the orange juice since I know it’s your favorite.”

Affection for your companions rushed through you and you smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“S’nothing,” he said.

“Really,” you touched his arm. “I appreciate what you two are doing for me.”

“We’re a little makeshift family, aren’t we?” Dean said. “We’ve got to look out for each other.”

Beaming at him, you went to take them out of their bag and inhaled deeply. “God, these are going to be-”

You cocked your head and froze. Dean glanced at you. “What?”

“Do you hear that?” You asked. 

Dean quieted and listened. “I don’t hear anything,” he said. 

You felt the growl start in your chest. “Exactly,” you whispered. “The birds – I can’t hear them anymore.”

Dean shot you a confused look but reached for his wand anyway. “I don’t understand.”

“The birds were singing,” you said, glancing around you, “ _loudly._ The only thing that would create silence like that is-”

“-a silencing charm,” Dean said, eyes widening.

“Do you have your bag in reach?” You asked. Dean nodded. “Lean over and take my hand, I’m going to apparate us to the other side of the forest. I know how to get back.”

Dean gripped his bag and leaned forward. Just as he was about to brush your palm, a loud voice echoed in the clearing.

“Ah, ah, ah,” the man said, coming out from behind a tree. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Dean met your eyes and you considered diving for him when a wand pressed against your neck. You looked up and bit back a scream. Frenrir Greyback hissed at you, his teeth bare.

“We meet again,” he hissed, eyes lighting up.

“You know these two?” The snatcher from before asked, walking towards you.

Fenrir grinned. “She gave me this scar last year,” he said, pointing to his neck. “Quick on your feet, aren’t you?”

“Muggleborn, I presume?” The snatcher said. You glared at him. “Where are my manners, I’m Phoenix.” He bent down and picked up your discarded croissant. 

You squirmed under Fenrir’s hold and managed to land a rough kick to his knee. He groaned and you scrambled away from him as he fell. He managed to claw you on his way down, catching your arm. You felt something snap but you scrambled away from him.

“Oh,” Phoenix laughed, delighted. “This one has fire in her, boys.”

Glancing around, you saw four more snatchers. Your breath quickened and you tightened the hold on your wand.

“I’m going to thoroughly enjoy ripping you apart,” Fenrir snapped. You backed up into a tree and glanced at Dean. He looked pointedly towards the river but you shook your head imperceptibly. You couldn’t let Dean jump in – you’d likely escape but this water led to the rapids a mile away. Dean wasn’t a strong swimmer and there was no way you’d be able to get you both out. 

You had to get to Dean – you just needed a second to apparate. Phoenix and Fenrir were talking quietly but the others watched you carefully. You glanced at the distance between you two and steadied yourself. 

You were going to make a run for it. 

You’d only managed to take four steps when a heavy blast hit you in the chest. You slammed into the floor and groaned at pain. 

“Stop it!” Dean shouted. You heard him grunt as Fenrir shoved him down.

“Clever girl,” Phoenix said, taking a few steps towards you. “It’s such a shame to have to turn you in. I imagine you’ll try to run at every moment you get. Let’s see what we can do to amend that.”

He lifted his wand but you were too dizzy and disoriented to do anything to stop him. 

“ _No_!”

You felt a body slam into the ground next to you and Fenrir’s loud growl. You focused your eyes and saw Dean’s lying unconscious beside you. Gathering all the energy you had, you reached towards him.

“You moron!” Phoenix shouted, running towards you.

He was too late. The moment you felt Dean’s arm, you closed your eyes and pictured the campsite. You slammed into the ground, losing your footing, and you groaned at the impact. 

You took a deep breath and heaved yourself onto your knees. Crawling, you reached Dean, who was now moaning. 

“Badger?” Dean called out; eyes half open.

“You _idiot_! Why’d you dive in front of me?” You shouted, looking around you. You’d meant to aparrate you both by the campsite but it seems you’d landed about a mile away still.

Dean’s eyes fluttered closed and you scrambled for your wand. You felt around his chest and felt the clean break of one of his ribs.

“Dean, this is going to hurt,” you warned, raising your wand. “ _Ferula!”_

You heard the snap and Dean convulsed. 

“ _Shh_ ,” you said, muttering a silencing spell. “They might be able to hear us.” 

Dean groaned, slumping over and you tried to find anything else that couldn’t wait. You couldn’t see anything but you cast a few healing incantations.

“Okay, okay,” you said to yourself, standing. Your hands were shaking but you had to get your bearings. “ _Wingardium leviosa_.”

You closed your eyes and tried to focus on the inside of the tent. The living room. You had to be specific. You let your magic pull you and Dean. 

This time, you landed on your feet. 

“What – who’s there?” Ted called from inside his room. You opened your eyes and almost cried when you saw where you were. “ _Red?_ What happened?”

“We were just about to eat – and they came out of nowhere – they must be in these woods for some reason – it’s my fault, they were going to hex me and Dean jumped in front of them-” you rambled, panicked.

“Are you okay?” Ted asked, motioning to your arm. You glanced down to realize you were bleeding. Your other hand came up to your wrist and you glanced around on the floor. Oh no, the snapping you’d heard. Fenrir had broken your bracelet. 

“ _Red_!”

“I’m okay,” you said faintly, sitting down onto a nearby chair. “I-Is he going to be okay?”

Ted had taken over the levitation spell and moved Dean towards his cot. He immediately brought out the vials of potions you kept in the kitchen for emergencies. He scanned Dean and gave you a look. You blinked at him, frozen. He opened Dean’s mouth and tossed a few potions in.

 _Madam Pomfrey would be disappointed with his technique,_ you thought faintly.

A second later, Dean gasped and shot up. “Ouch,” he said, hand going to his side. 

You all stared at one another, dumbstruck expressions, until Ted laughed. “Ouch is right my friend,” Ted said, handing him another vial. “Drink up, that’ll clear up anything that’s left.”

Tripping on your own feet trying to rush over, you grabbed Dean’s scuffed hands. “ _You bloody idiot_.”

“That’s not nice to say to someone who almost died for you,” Dean said, joking.

“You broke a few ribs and were knocked unconscious,” Ted called out from the sink. 

At the sight of your glare, he put up his hands. “Only joking!”

“I will _smother_ you in your sleep,” you threatened, pulling him into a hug. “You scared me.”

“Well, now we know how we’ll react to snatchers,” Dean said, hugging you back. “I thought we were done for.”

“Me too,” you said quietly.

Ted put on a pot of tea and sighed. “I’m sorry this happened to you two, this was my fault.”

Dean shook his head. “I’m the one who came up with the idea.”

They started bickering and you threw up your hands. “It’s no one’s fault. We just have to move out of the area – _quickly_ and quietly.”

“Won’t they come looking for us?” Dean asked, climbing down from the table with a wince.

You looked at Ted. He frowned, looking pensive and shook his head. “I’m not sure, they might and they might not.”

“Either way, the wards are a safety net, they’re not impenetrable,” you said, rubbing your temple. “We’re lucky we got out of there. We would’ve been killed or tossed in Azkaban.”

Ted sighed, looking like he’d aged ten years in a few minutes. Dean, however, smiled.

“What?” You asked warily.

“At least we know that the worst has probably happened,” Dean said, “what else can go wrong?”

* * *

Dirk and Griphook were none the wiser the next day. You’d all decided to resume your travels the next day. Dean had claimed he had a massive migraine and had stayed inside all day with you. 

At some point, you’d woken up from a nap and found Dean and Ted whispering.

“What’re you two going on about?” You asked, getting yourself some water.

Dean and Ted glanced at each other and you frowned.

“Just say it,” you sighed. 

“We need more supplies before we move again,” Dean said quietly. “I know you’ve been on edge since the snatchers but…”

“We haven’t done a food run since Dean first joined us,” Ted told you. “I don’t mind going alone. Dean can stay here with you.”

“You can’t go alone,” you said, gaping at him. “These woods could be crawling with snatchers. It’s been less than twenty four hours since we were attacked - we’ve got to keep moving.”

“I know,” Ted said gently, “and that’s the plan. However, the further deep we go – the further we get from a nearby town.”

You wrung your hands together and Dean sighed. “I can go with him.”

Ted frowned. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving Red with the goblin. We still aren’t too far out from where they first found you both.”

“I can go alone?” Dean suggested.

Ted and you huffed in unison at that. “What if you come across them again? They’ll recognize you and you’ll have no help.” Ted said. “They’re quicker than any of us.”

You chewed your lip and shook your head. “Not all of us.”

“It’s not your turn,” Dean said. “Besides, Fenrir is probably foaming at the mouth to get a shot at you.”

“My scent is different when I’m transformed. I’d be able to smell them the moment they appear or hear when they apparate. My senses are ten times better then – stop looking at me like that. I’m not fragile. Yes, I’m worried,” you admitted, “but it’s the best solution.”

“I’ll go with you,” Dean said quickly. “With your senses, I’ll be able to move us anywhere quickly if we need it. They won’t get the drop on us the second time.”

Ted shook his head. “Wouldn’t it make more sense if I went with her? They don’t know me.”

“They know we’re all on the run,” you said softly, reminding him of what he’d always said to you. “They know that Bellatrix and Narcissa’s sister married a muggleborn. If they find out who you are, it’d be a much bigger risk.”

“You’re right,” Ted sighed, “if they’re in town, some of them might recognize me.”

“I don’t know if we should leave you alone,” you said, realizing that Ted would be alone with Dirk and Griphook for the first time since their arrival. “What if they’re waiting for us to split up? Maybe we all should go.”

Ted laughed at that. “Dirk works at the Ministry!”

“The same Ministry that is now controlled by _him_?” You said, quirking your brow.

“The same Ministry that he escaped from when they were taking him to _Azkaban_ ,” Ted said, reminding you of his harrowing journey. “I know he won’t hurt me.”

“What about the goblin?” You asked. “I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t need to,” Ted said softly, taking your hands. “Trust me.”

“Are you sure?” You asked, looking at his face for any sign of discomfort.

“I’m positive. I’m worried about _you_ ,” he said, bringing a hand up to your cheek. “I don’t want you to push yourself too hard. After what you’ve just been through-”

“I’m not scared,” you said quickly. 

Ted smiled. “I know you’re not. All you Hufflepuffs are never scared in the face of adversity.”

Dean snorted and you turned to glare at him. “What? I thought courage was a lion’s job.”

“I will _kick_ you,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Alright let’s go.”

You tossed your pack over your shoulder. Dean tossed his jacket on and patted Ted on the shoulder. “Be careful. If there’s an emergency, send a patronus.” He pointed outside. “I’m going to tell the others I’m going into town.”

You nodded and watched him disappear out the tent. “Are you sure?” You asked Ted again, feeling uneasy about this all. It was too soon…

“I’ll be right here when you get back silly girl,” he said with his signature grin. “See if you can find better apples this time. Maybe Thomas will be better at picking them out.”

“Words hurt you know,” you said, teasing back.

Ted gave you a quick hug and smiled down at you. “I’m proud of you, Red. Badgers might be small but they can be just as much as a threat as a lion.”

You beamed at him and headed for the door. “I’ll try to find those biscuits you like so much!” You said, shifting and running towards Dean. 

* * *

Dean rambled when he was nervous. He also rambled when he was trying to distract _you_ from being nervous. 

“Well, at least we made it through the forest easily,” he said to you. You’d decided against staying shifted while you were in town. If there were any snatchers here, they’d recognize Dean anyway. 

Luckily for you both, it seemed like the afternoon was busy. There was a festival of some sort happening in the main town square and everyone was out on the warm spring day.

“There’s too many people here for me to scent them through the crowd anyway,” you said, more to reassure yourself. “Just, walk-”

“-with purpose, I know,” Dean said, shooting you a small smile. “Come on. It’s down that way I think.”

You made it in and out of the market with no fuss. “Did that seem too easy to you?” You asked.

“Don’t think about it too much, come on,” Dean said, leading you back to the woods.

You were so focused on your shoes, and instinctively following Dean’s footsteps, that you didn’t realize that Dean had come to a stop. You ran into him, both of you stumbling forward.

“What? Why’d you stop?” You asked, your voice high. 

“Look,” Dean said, pointing to the large dance floor in the middle of the street. “They have a live band playing.”

“Okay?” You said quietly, eyes darting across the square. 

“Let’s dance for a second,” Dean said, eyes alight.

“ _What_.” You said dryly.

“Come on! We were in and out of there in twenty minutes. We told Ted we’d be back in two hours,” he checked his watch, “we’re almost an hour ahead of schedule. We’ll only be two minutes, I promise.”

“Are you serious?” You asked, bewildered.

“Badger, we are _literally_ running for our lives and have been since the beginning of this bloody year – no, for longer than that. I’m tired of being constantly scared and I’m tired of seeing you and Ted look like you’ve been through the ringer,” Dean said, eyes widening. “We’ve bought Ted his biscuits and we’re going to dance for a minute in this random town with these people that we’ll never see again because _why not_?”

You struggled to come up with an excuse but you couldn’t find one. Dropping your shoulders from around your ears, you nodded. “Alright, I guess.”

Before you’d finished your sentence, Dean had whisked you out into the courtyard. The melody switched to something up beat and you couldn’t help but smile at Dean’s excitement. He flung his arms out, closed his eyes, and moved without a care.

 _What the hell,_ you said, throwing caution into the wind – for at least a little while.

You twirled around with reckless abandon and felt yourself get lost in the sea of people dancing alongside you. Dean laughed, his eyes looking less weighed down. You stopped after a moment, out of breath, and grinned. 

“Come on,” Dean said, “let’s go.”

“Wait,” you said, laughing at Dean’s surprise. “Just – another minute couldn’t hurt.”

Dean beamed and jumped up and down, waving his arms around wildly.

A brunette, dancing just as wildly, laughed with you. “Your dance partner has got great spirit,” she said.

You hid your laugh behind your hand and nodded. “He’s been waiting to let loose for a while,” you said. 

She smiled sincerely and jumped around like Dean. “This is the best place to do it then!”

“Come on,” Dean said, grabbing your hands, “you can’t just stand there!”

You let Dean pull you into the chaos and jumped, bumped, and twirled around until you were dizzy.

* * *

Still a bit giggly from the dancing, you didn’t notice it at first. Dean was humming to the song and you kept hitting him with your tail. 

The tree marked with your claws comes into view and you lift your nose. 

_What was that smell?_

You shook your head and found the right trees you needed to go through. _There!_ You caught the same scent and you huffed. Stretching your neck, you searched for something that felt off.

_It doesn’t smell like anyone has come through here-_

Then, suddenly, like someone had hit you with a truck - you felt your unease grow into a pit in your stomach. 

Something was wrong. _Very_ wrong. 

Dean scrunched his nose and tilted his head, expression confused. 

“Do you - see that?” He asked, pointing to the sky. 

You looked up and saw bare hints of smoke. Like an avalanche, you started to panic. Bounding towards where the campsite should be, you felt the wards ripple and let you in. The moment you stepped through; you knew. 

Dirk’s tent had collapsed in, the poles having snapped. There were claw marks on the floor - a pair of footsteps leading westward. 

“What - what happened?” Dean asked, looking at the disarray. “Where’s our tent?” 

Despair clawed at your throat, making your eyes water. You sniffed frantically, trying to find a scent you could follow. 

Dean called out for anyone for a minute, looking around for any clues. He stopped and shook his head. “What if it’s magic?” He said to himself. 

You stuck your nose to the dirt and picked up three distinct scents. 

“ _Revelio_ ,” Dean whispered. Like a curtain had dropped, the familiar tent blinked back into existence 

Not seeing your warning, Dean ran for the tent and you followed at his heels. 

_It could be a trap!_

When you entered, however, nothing seemed out of place. Everything was like how you’d left it. 

“Does it smell like someone else was here?” Dean asked you. You nodded and ran back outside. 

_Where were they?_ Ted wouldn’t just leave. You tried to think logically but your mind was racing. 

The wind shifted. A strong gust came from behind you and you froze. 

_No_. You heard yourself whine loudly. 

“Badger?” Dean called. 

The breeze hit your nose again and your stomach dropped out at your feet. Your heart pounded against your ribcage so hard, it felt like it’d break you into two. 

No, no, _no_. 

“What is it?” He asked, coming out to join you.

You didn’t want to follow the scent. You wanted to stay here and never move – but your feet had a mind of their own. They spurred you forward and through the trees up ahead.

“Badger! Wait – it could be a trap-”

With a few bounds, you found a large tree. There, at the base were two bodies. The scent of werewolf slammed into you.

_Greyback._

The closest one to you was thrown carelessly against a large root. The other was leaning against the bark – _no._

“Badger!” Dean said, panting as he stumbled behind you. 

Instinctively, you shifted and let out a low groan. “No,” you said, eyes tearing up, “no, no, no.”

If you didn’t know any better, if you hadn’t smelled the unmistakable scent of death, you would’ve thought he was sleeping. 

The sun broke through the leaves and a small ray glistened off his wedding ring. Not able to take another step, you gagged and ran behind a tree.

“Ted?” You heard Dean say. His voice was soft and childlike. “ _Ted_ …”

You waited until you were sure there wasn’t anything left to throw up and wiped your mouth with the hem of your shirt. You leaned your forehead against the rough bark and you shut your eyes tightly.

 _This was all your fault,_ a tiny voice inside you said. _This was all your fault…_

“Badger!” 

The panicked voice had you stumbling back towards him. 

“We can’t leave them here,” Dean said, his cheeks wet and eyes wild from shock. “We – we can’t leave him. They won’t ever find – no one will find-”

You grabbed Dean’s waving hands into your own. With a hard tug, you fell into his arms. He dug his face into your shoulder and you let out a muffled cry.

_It’s all your fault…_

* * *

You both managed to get the bodies to the edge of the forest, near a popular walking trail. 

“Someone will be by this evening,” Dean said, eyes darting around. He’d broken down for a moment after the discovery but quickly managed to bury it deeply within himself. You, on the other hand, felt like the sky was falling apart.

You transfigured two pieces of paper. You handed one to Dean and he frowned.

“When they find the b-bodies,” you explained, “I – I want them to know who they are.” In clear, dark letters you wrote out _Dirk Cresswell._ “Could you write Ted’s? I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

“Of course,” Dean said, folding the paper and tucking it into his jacket pocket. He stepped back blinking away tears, but you couldn’t bring yourself to just yet. Tears falling, you pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. 

_I’ll be right here when you get back, silly girl. Find some good apples this time!_

His voice echoed in your mind and his jovial expression was a stark parallel to this pale, still one. Despite your best attempt, a small sob made its way out of you. Dean’s hand came up to your shoulder and squeezed.

“Come on, Badger, we’ve got to go before we’re seen,” he said, his expression stone and his eyes scanning the clearing.

_He’s barely keeping it together. You need to go. You need to keep each other safe._

Nodding, you let him take your hand and lead you back into the shadow of the trees. You turned back one last time, gaze going directly to Ted’s peaceful expression. 

“Thank you,” you said quietly. 

A strong, warm, breeze pushed your hair into your eyes but you refused to look away. You both finally reached the line of trees and knew you’d have to pick up after what was left behind. You would have to pack up and leave him here, _alone_. The lump in your throat grew. 

“Badger, watch your step,” Dean said softly.

Nodding absently, you took your last look at him. With a final nod, you took a deep breath and turned back around. 

“Good bye, old man.”


	2. After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reunited and it feels so good~

_“We’ve got to go that way,” you said quickly, pointing through a cluster of trees. “Come on, quickly!”_

_Ted nodded, his chest heaving. You felt the dirt beneath your feet as you ran. Trying to lead the way, you nudged him left but he slowed._

_“Don’t slow down!” You urged. “They’ll see us, I can hear them.”_

_“My dear,” he said, panting, “I can’t go on. Leave me.”_

_“No!” You shouted, pulling at his arm. “You can’t give up – that’s what you always tell me. Never give up!”_

_Ted’s kind eyes morphed into despair. He nodded and you tugged him forwards. With a quick glance behind you, you pushed forward. When you finally reached cover, you turned back around and realized you were alone._

_“Ted?” You shouted, panicked. “Ted!”_

_A low moan came from your left. Running towards it, you reached a small clearing. Ted was tossed haphazardly onto the floor and you ran to him._

_“Ted! What happened? You were right behind me!”_

_His eyes opened, bloodshot._

_“It’s your fault,” his voice came out raspy. “You let them kill me. It’s all your fault; you failed me.”_

_“No,” you moaned, tears streaming down your face. “No, please! I would give anything-”_

_His hand wrapped itself around your bicep and you flinched at the force. His grip was ice but his eyes were ferocious._

_“It’s all your fault, Red!”_

_You yanked your arm out of his grip and fell back. “Please, Ted…please!”_

_“Badger!” He shouted. “Badger, wake up!”_

Your eyes darted open and you jerked upwards, instinctively reaching for your wand beside you. 

“B _adger_.”

Blinking, you realized the voice was much softer. Your eyes focused in the darkness and you saw Dean, kneeling next to your cot – _Ted’s_ cot. 

“I’m sorry,” you said, lowering your wand. You rubbed a hand down your face and you frowned. “Was I yelling again?”

He nodded, his worry plain on his face.

“I’m fine,” you said, waving a hand. “It was just a nightmare.”

Dean smiled sadly. “I think they’re called night _terrors_ ,” he said. “They’re getting worse.”

“I know.” You closed your eyes and felt the panic start to build in your chest.

_Take a deep breath._

Dropping your shoulders, you took a few steadying breaths and nodded. 

“I’ll work on it, I promise. It’s still… too fresh,” you admitted, tossing your legs over the side of the bed. 

“I know,” Dean said, “but you don’t need to carry it all on your shoulders alone. I’ve got four sisters who’ve all let me know I’m a good listener.”

You smiled. “Thanks, Dean. I don’t know how I would’ve made it this past week without you.”

This time, he waved his hand. “What are friends for?” He nodded towards the entrance of the tent. “Call out if you need me.”

“Wait,” you put a hand on his arm, “let me. I’m not going to be able to get back to sleep anyway.”

“It’s my turn,” he said stubbornly.

You shot him a look. “You’ve been taking more shifts than me for a week and a half.”

“Because you need time,” he insisted. 

“I know,” you said quietly, “but I’ve taken enough time. I can’t let us get complacent, that’s how we get caught. We can’t let his death be in vain.”

“We won’t,” Dean assured you.

“Which is why you’ll let me take the rest of this shift over,” you said, standing up and cracking your spine. “You look like you’ll fall asleep standing up. Go take a good nap and we’ll plan out where we’ll go in the morning.”

“Badger-”

With a well-placed shove in the direction of his bed, you huffed. “ _Go._ ”

Dean grumbled for a few minutes afterwards, but you soon enough heard his light snores. Smiling, you sat at the opening of the tent and picked up a book from Ted’s collection.

You ran your hand across the front. _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them._ The spine was broken in multiple places and half of the book was underlined with multiple notes in the margins. It was clear that it was well-loved. He’d always had it on him, rereading it constantly. He’d even had a second copy so you could read along with him if you’d wanted to. You opened to the front page and inhaled sharply when you saw his handwriting.

_Property of Edward Tonks._

You traced the sharp letters and bit your cheek to keep from crying. If Dean woke up to you crying, he’d never let you take a shift again. You quickly closed the book and wondered, for the millionth time, if you were doing the right thing by taking his belongings with you.

If you made it out alive –

 _Not if, when,_ a very Ted sounding voice said in your head. You sighed and nodded to yourself, like the mad woman you were. 

_When_ you made it out alive, you’d wanted to be able to give his possessions back to Tonks and Andromeda. You glanced down at the book and nodded. _Rip it off like a band-aid,_ you said to yourself. 

With a swift flick of your hand, you opened to the front page. You pushed your knees further away from your chest and shifted the book onto your lap. As you moved to get comfortable, two small envelopes slid out from between the pages.

Furrowing your brows, you reached out to grab them. Had the book ripped? Turning over the envelopes, you saw a name on each of the envelopes. 

_Andromeda and Nymphadora._

A lump grew in your throat and your eyes welled. 

Of course, he wrote them letters. _Of course,_ he did.

Smiling through the tears, you tucked them back into the book and held it against your chest. You wrapped your arms around it and sniffled.

Glancing down, you frowned and tapped the book. 

“Letters,” you said quietly, “just in case.”

* * *

“Just in case?” Dean asked the next morning, chewing on his eggs with a thoughtful expression.

You nodded. “There’s no guarantee they’ll ever make it to whoever they’re intended for but…” you shrugged.

“Can’t Tonks’ owls find you easily?” Dean asked. “We could just send them.”

You shook your head violently. “ _No_!” You shouted. 

Dean blinked, surprise blooming across his face.

“Sorry,” you said, clearing your throat. “We can’t ever risk it. Who knows if that’s how Ted was tracked? It’s too dangerous now. We can’t go into town anymore, much less a post office. We have to stick together.”

“What about food runs?” Dean asked. “It’s been a while since we received or sent letters-”

“Our last trip, rationed well, could last us a month or longer now that we don’t – now that it’s only us. I’ll go into whatever small town we find for the bare necessities if needed,” you said. “I think we should avoid letters for now. We don’t know who is watching or who could track us. We shouldn’t – I can’t let you out of my sight.”

Understanding flashed across his face and you chewed on your lip.

“We don’t know if they cloaked our tent as a trap or if Te- if _he_ managed to hide it before they attacked,” you swallowed. “It’s better if we stick together. Two heads are better than one and we can’t risk taking any detours right now.” 

“But, what about Midnight?” Dean asked.

You thought of the small owl and bit your cheek to keep from crying. “She won’t be able to find us without T – without him.” You cleared your throat and pulled out the map to double check your new route. 

“Why do you get to go?” Dean said.

“Because I’m an animagus,” you said, crossing your arms, “and I’m much better at dueling than you are if it comes down to it.”

“Says you,” Dean said with a huff. 

“Dean,” you said, exhaling deeply, “ _please_.”

After a few moments, he nodded. “Alright, yeah, let’s do it.”

You frowned. “Do what?”

“The letters,” he said, shooting you an amused smile. “I’ll do whatever you say is best. T-Ted always said you knew what you were doing. I trust you.”

You swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly against the building pressure behind your eyes. “Right,” you said, looking for paper. “Let’s do it, shall we?”

Dean nodded, smiling sadly, and turned towards the kitchen table. You walked off towards your bed and placed the sheet of paper atop of the book.

Hesitating, you chewed on your cheek. What did you say in a letter you were writing just in case… you didn’t make it out of the woods? 

_This_ is _quite morbid,_ you thought, frowning down at the paper. 

“Just pick someone,” Dean said, his back to you. “It’s weird, but pick a person and write down what you’d like to read if you were them.”

Nodding, you picked up your pen and realized he couldn’t see you. “Cheers.”

He waved his left hand, the right one already scribbling across his paper. 

You closed your eyes and immediately, bright red hair came to mind. Smiling, you instinctively reached out to touch your bracelet and sighed when you remembered it wasn’t there.

_Dear George,_

_First, I’m really sorry but I lost our bracelet. Actually, a snatcher ripped it off my arm after I punched him in the knee. Ted said I was lucky I had only broken my thumb. Dean showed me how to throw a proper punch just in case._

_I’m writing this letter hoping that you’ll never have to read it. However, I know that hope is a rare thing these days. If you are reading this, and I’m gone, please know that I did all I could to come back to you…_

* * *

“Well, that was depressing,” Dean said, rubbing his eyes and tucking the handful of envelopes into a small journal he carried.

You smiled sadly. “I know,” you said, sliding yours next to Tonks’ and Andromeda’s.

“Can I ask you a favor?” He said, standing and stretching.

“’Course,” you said, feeling mentally spent after those letters. 

“Will you teach me some offensive spells?” He asked. “I’m not bad at transfiguration but I’m not as good as you or Tonks…I always got lost when Ted was talking about it. I’ve seen you shift colors when you’re a coyote. I know I’ll never be that good but…” he trailed off and shrugged.

“Yeah,” you said, “I’ll teach you.”

“Yeah?” Dean said, grinning. “Brilliant.”

You pointed towards the far end of the camp ground. “Show me what you can do,” you told him, lifting your wand.

He shot you a wary look and you huffed. “Come on, don’t decapitate me but, do your best.”

“I’m good at disarming,” he said, and frowned, “I’m good at stunning too. I learned a lot from watching you and Ted.”

With a sharp flick of his wrist and a strong _expelliarmus!_ he had your wand in his hand. 

“That’s a good start,” you said, catching your wand as he threw it back. “Are you any good at curses?”

Dean shook his head. “All I know is from school and Dumbledore’s Army.” He smiled half-heartedly. “I managed to get a patronus before Umbridge found us.”

A blue light erupted from his wand and the sphere bobbed in the air for a while before disappearing.

“I haven’t been able to practice enough to get a corporeal one but, Harry said this would work,” Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Managing an incorporeal patronus is _brilliant_ , Dean,” you praised, “you’re technically still a student. I know some adult wizards who can’t produce a patronus. Remember what Harry said? It’s really powerful magic.”

Beaming, Dean nodded. 

“Alright,” you smiled, trying to think back on your last Defense lesson. “Snape was my last Defense professor-”

Dean wrinkled his nose and you huffed. “-I know. He did teach us a few spells. Some that I’ve had to use recently. I think we should try a blasting curse and an exploding charm.”

“I’m not bad at charms!” Dean said, levitating a few leaves to prove it.

“That’s good!” You said, smiling. “Now, let’s start with _bombarda_.”

Dean’s eyes widened. “W-with you?” 

“’Course not, tosser,” you said and pointed at a wooden log. “Trying to get rid of me already? Christ, don’t just flick your wand – look at me first!”

You exaggerated your movements but smiled when the log exploded. 

“Holy shit,” Dean said, awed. “Can you do it again? I just need it once more.”

A few explosions later, you found yourself clapping as Dean executed the spell correctly. By that evening, he’s successfully learned four more charms and spells. 

“You’re a quick study,” you told him, smiling at him proudly. 

“Thanks!” He grinned. “I really liked Defense when Lupin taught it.”

“Yeah,” you said, your mind wandering to Remus and Tonks. 

“Oh, _bugger_ ,” Dean said, jogging back into the tent. 

“What?” You said, glancing at the wards instinctively. 

“ _Potterwatch_!” He called out. “It’s time to check.”

You followed him into the kitchen and pointed towards the top shelf. “Quickly! What’s the password? Moody?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, tapping the radio with his wand.

Sure enough, the familiar booming voice came through the speakers and you found yourself sinking into the nearest chair.

“ _Good evening listeners! It’s ol’ reliable River, as always, joining you from an undisclosed location. Oh, aren’t you all delighted with the secrecy? Tonight, we’ll be covering an array of topics with a special guest! Everyone give Romulus a warm welcome.”_

Your heart jumped into your throat and you couldn’t help but lean in. Remus hadn’t been on Potterwatch for a while. 

_“Pleasure to be here River,”_ Remus’ unmistakable voice said. 

“Is that Lupin?” Dean asked from the kitchen, where he was preparing dinner. 

“Yeah,” you said softly, touching the small speakers. “It’s him.”

_“How have you been Romulus?”_

_“I’ve been better,”_ he said.

“ _Haven’t we all?”_ Lee said, solemnly _. “On that note, before we start - let's take a moment to report those deaths that the Wizarding Wireless Network News and Daily Prophet don't think important enough to mention. It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell."_

Your stomach dropped and you felt like someone had stunned you. Faintly, you registered Dean appearing at your side. 

“They found him,” Dean whispered.

Tears sprung to your eyes and you tightened your grip on the table. 

“ _If I may, River,”_ Remus said, “ _there’s something I’d like to say to someone I hope is listening now.”_

 _“By all means,”_ Lee answered.

" _There’s someone out there who had recently gotten to know Ted Tonks. I don’t know if they’re out there but I sincerely hope so. If they are, I’d like to thank them and remind them that they’re never truly alone.”_

You covered your mouth with your hand and bit down on your tongue.

 _“Let’s hope that message gets to them,”_ Lee said. “ _Along those lines, we have a few announcements to make-”_

Releasing the breath that had been stuck in your chest since you found Ted’s body, you let yourself cry. Dean’s arms came around your shoulders, his expression worried.

“S’alright, Badger, they found him.”

“They found him,” you repeated, smiling softly. “He’s _home_.”

After supper, Dean had tried to convince you to let him take the first watch. You shook your head and pushed him back into the tent.

“ _Oi_ ,” you waved a finger, “I’m in charge here, remember? It’s my night.”

“I know, but-”

“No buts,” you said, pointing towards his cot. “I’ll wake you up at the usual time. I promise, I’m alright.”

Dean frowned, watching you through narrowed eyes. He nodded eventually and sighed loudly. “You try to do something nice for someone…”

You rolled your eyes. “Go practice some wand work. We’re practicing binding spells tomorrow.”

“G’night,” he said, squeezing your shoulder. “If you need me, wake me up.”

“I promise,” you swore. He nodded and you watched him settle into his makeshift room, shutting the sheer curtain. You padded towards the kitchen and found your coffee thermos before sitting in your usual spot outside the tent. 

The weather was getting warmer and Easter was fast approaching. You wrinkled your nose but forced down a few gulps of the black coffee. 

“Why do you always drink it like that if you don’t like it?” Dean had asked you once. 

You’d lied and told him it reminded you of your parents. You had quickly started up the habit when you and Dean had started traveling alone. The caffeine helped you stay alert and awake throughout the night. 

Thinking back on the Potterwatch, you took another long sip. 

You’d failed Ted, but you wouldn’t fail Dean. 

* * *

For the next few weeks, you continued to train daily with Dean. You realized, quite quickly, that he was a fast learner. He usually only needed to watch you perform a spell three times before managing on his own. He’d told you that his wand was made of Spruce – a wood that was known for choosing self-assured casters – and it clearly showed. 

With your help, he had moved onto practicing his dueling skills. He’d insisted you not lose time and you had agreed to practicing once a day while you walked. Most of your duels took place outside at night, after you’d set up camp, since the tent was too small and held too much possible collateral damage. 

“ _Expelliarmus_!” You shouted, darting between trees to try and confuse him. 

Dean darted to the left, avoiding your spell and grinned. “ _Stupefy_!”

You’d already thrown up a shield with a well-timed _protego._

“You’ll need to move faster than that!” You teased.

Laughing, he half yelled: “ _Flipendo_!”

The air was knocked out of you as your back hit the forest floor. Dean immediately raised his wand again and you grinned. He used to run to you, worried he’d hurt you, and you had always admonished him.

_“A death eater won’t hesitate, you can’t either.”_

It’d taken him a few days, but he’d learned. Unfortunately for him, you were still a bit faster.

“ _Mimble Wimble!”_ You called out. 

Dean opened his mouth and froze. He touched his throat and his eyes brightened when he realized you’d silenced him.

With a flick of his wrist, you began levitating into the air. Shrieking, you turned once in the air before glaring at him. The git was much better than you at non-verbal spells. “Put me down!”

He glared back and pointed at his mouth. You snorted and reversed the spell. He coughed and stuck his tongue out. “No fair, I don’t know that one! It didn’t even sound like a real spell.”

You laughed. “It binds your tongue,” you said, smiling softly. “Fred taught me that one.”

“’Course,” he said, chuckling. 

“Will you put me _down_ ,” you shouted, twirling again in the air.

“I don’t know, a _real_ death eater wouldn’t put you down,” Dean teased. He continued your walk North for a minute, you trailing in the air behind him.

“I swear to everything holy Thomas, if you don’t put me down, I’ll choke you in your sleep,” you threatened.

“Nah,” he snorted, “you’re too fond of me now.”

You growled, annoyed that he wasn’t wrong. “I’ll spell your hair bright pink and it’ll take weeks before you can find a counter spell.”

“In that case,” he said, turning round and walking backwards, “I’ll just keep you up there then.”

Before you could come up with a response, you watched him trip over a tree root and the spell broke. You fell hard onto the ground and you groaned at the impact.

“You did that on purpose,” you said, rubbing your shoulder.

Dean sat up, leaves in his hair, and his pack askew. “I did not!”

You stared at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter. You held your stomach, giggling at the absurdity of the situation. 

A soft snap made you turn sharply. You straightened, eyes darting at the area around you. 

“What?” Dean asked, dusting himself off. He glanced around you instinctively. Pointing towards your left you transformed into your usual form. 

Dean straightened, his joyous expression becoming serious just as a group of middle-aged men came stumbling through the trees.

“Hello,” Dean said politely. You sat at his feet; eyes narrowed.

“Was that you? Good grief,” one of them huffed, wiping his face with a handkerchief. 

“Was that me?” Dean asked, looking down at you. 

“Making all that racket?” Another said, looking disapproving. “You’ll get all of us caught if you keep that up.”

The first leaned forward, as if to inspect Dean, and you started growling. Immediately, he took a few steps back and huffed indignantly. 

“You better get that mutt under control!” He shouted.

“And you should get your volume under control,” Dean retorted, “wouldn’t want to get us all caught, would you?”

With a few crude remarks, the group huffed and puffed before walking away. 

“Happy Easter,” Dean said, sarcastically.

You snorted.

“Come on,” Dean said, placing his hand on your shoulder. “Let’s get away from them.”

You pointed in the direction the men had walked off in. 

“I know we need to go that way, let’s just apparate ahead of them,” he said. 

Shaking your head, you sat down. 

Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on, I know we’ve apparated once already today but – do you really want to sit here and wait until they’ve put some distance between us? With the pace they’re going at, we’ll run into them the whole way.”

_He was right._

You sighed and nodded. Dean grinned smugly and you rolled your eyes. He touched your shoulder again and you felt the tug start at the base of your spine.

The moment you landed you knew something was wrong. You lifted your nose into the air. Straightening your tail, you pressed your body into Dean’s side and raked your claws against the dirt twice – _danger._

He immediately froze, his eyes widening. Dean reached for his wand and raised it up. 

“What is it?” He asked you.

You shook your head, eyes darting across the forest. _What was that smell?_

Sniffing to your left, you searched through the trees for the familiar scent. Turning to the right, your nose twitched. No, it was definitely coming from your left. The forest was silent, except for Dean’s soft breathing, but you could have sworn you heard a muffled voice.

You scratched at the dirt with your left front paw then your right – _cast a revealing spell -_ and Dean nodded. He glanced around for a few minutes, muttering a few words but shook his head. “There’s nothing there,” he whispered. 

Taking a few, careful, steps out – you stilled immediately. 

_There._

You had seen a small shimmer; one you could only see out of the corner of your eyes. You inched towards it, sniffing the ground and realized what the scent was.

Peonies and vanilla. Perfume. _Hermione,_ your mind supplied.

Your ears perked up and you straightened. _Had she been through here?_ You couldn’t pick up anyone else’s scent – was she alone? She couldn’t have passed by too long ago. 

Whining instinctively, you looked back at Dean. 

Dean glanced around again and bent down to your eye level. “What’s wrong?”

You nosed at his shoulder and turned to look at the shimmer pointedly. He followed your eyes and frowned. “What is it?” 

Pointing again, he squinted and then nodded. “I see it, the shimmer – it looks like a concealment spell-”

Before he could finish his sentence, five snatchers appeared over his shoulder. Dean cursed and you felt your hair stand on end. 

“Run!” You heard someone scream from behind you. 

Without giving it a second thought, you ran. Dean huffed behind you, barely keeping pace. You darted between trees, avoiding any roots and herding Dean towards the right. The sun beams guided you deeper into the forest. The sound of heavy footsteps forced you to run faster but Dean fell further behind. You itched to run ahead and you let out a high-pitched whine.

Dean panted “Run!” He screamed at you. “Leave me. _Go_!” 

You couldn’t even think of a response, a plan, _anything_ when the vanilla scent slammed into you again. You almost tripped over a branch, startled by the sudden reappearance of three other bodies tied to trees ahead of you. 

You recognized Hermione and Ron instantly and your heart jumped into your throat. They jerked around, mouthing something you couldn’t quite understand. 

As you ran past a line of trees, you felt your skin itch. _Wards_ – you’d run past a warded area.

“ _It’s a trap_!” Hermione shrieked.

“Run!” Ron yelled. “The other way, Thomas!”

They were alive! They were – a loud sound of a body hitting the forest floor had you skidding to a stop. Instantly, you turned around and grabbed a mouthful of Dean’s sweater. You pulled him but he groaned and pushed you away. “Leave me! Run!”

 _Like hell,_ you huffed. You couldn’t leave Dean alone, much less the rest of them. 

Growling, you foamed at the mouth and snipped at the nearing snatcher. 

“Look, your pet has a death wish,” it cackled. 

Your growling grew two-fold and he had the decency to look unsure as you flashed your teeth. 

“Leave her alone,” Dean said, groaning, trying to get to you. You curled your tail around his arm protectively. 

“Just kill it!” One of the other snatchers said. “It’s annoying me.”

“No!” Hermione said, her eyes on you, recognition dawning. You knew you’d be able to dart away quick enough but you couldn’t leave them behind and you wouldn’t be able to call for any help. You couldn’t let them get Dean the way they got Ted. If it meant getting taken with him, that’s what’d you do. 

One of them kicked Dean in the shoulder and before you knew it, you shot out and sunk your teeth into his leg. 

Soon, you were hit with a blast and Dean screamed your name. He curled his body around yours and you huffed when he screamed in pain after a spell hit him in the back. _Bloody Gryffindors._

A hand ripped him up and away from you. 

“Should we take it with us?”

“What’s a dog of any use to us? Just kill it and let’s go,” the other answered.

“ _No_!” Dean screamed. His eyes were filled with terror and tears when they turned to you. “Run! Go!” 

Dean thrashed in their arms, his fresh cut trailing blood everywhere.

Hermione shook her head at you but you sighed. There wasn’t any other choice. You stepped towards Dean and felt the transformation start. Seconds later you stood with your wand digging into the snatcher's throat. “Let him go,” you hissed, voice hoarse from disuse. 

“Bloody animagus!” The snatcher laughed and you couldn’t help but jab him. With a knee to his groin he went down hard. You muttered a few hexes, managing to catch three of them but you were overpowered. You were shoved into a rough looking Ron. He reached out to catch you. The chains around his arms dug into your side.

“You’re _alive_ ,” he said quietly, relief evident in his voice. “You’re a-a- _dog_.”

“For now,” you muttered, shooting him a confused look. “Coyote, actually.”

“Let’s go! Round them up!”

* * *

You were trembling. Your teeth chattered against each other as you sat in a corner in the barely lit dungeon of the Malfoy manor. 

_Of course,_ the Malfoys had a bloody dungeon, you scoffed. 

Hermione’s screams pierced the quiet and you screwed your eyes shut. Dean pulled you tighter to him and Harry squeezed your hand. 

“It’ll be alright,” Harry said, sounding unconvinced. 

“I won’t let them take you,” Dean said, his expression serious.

You frowned. The moment you’d come across Bellatrix Lestrange, she’d made it clear she wasn’t letting you go anytime soon.

“Is this the animagus?” She’d grinned, coming close to you. 

Fenrir had kept your hands tight against your back while she’d prodded at you.

“I have plenty of uses for someone like you.” 

However, she’d caught sight of the sword before she could start. Hermione had been pinned to the wall and you’d tried to transform but one of the snatchers had all but thrown you down the stairs. 

You’d blinked, dizzy from the fall, and frowned when you saw a familiar pair of clear blue eyes. 

“You’re bleeding,” Luna said with a smile on her face. “I did think it sounded like you all. I’m so glad to see you’re okay.” Luna explained that she had been at the manor since Christmas. Ollivander, who offered you all a warm smile, had been here for a year. The panic had started to set in when you caught sight of Griphook. You gasped so hard you choked. 

“We’ll get out of here, don’t worry,” Ron said. 

Dean was at your side instantly. “What - _Griphook_.”

“Oh,” Harry said, frowning. “How long have you been here?”

“Four weeks,” Griphook said, keeping his eyes on you. “Seems we’ve been reunited once more.”

“Reunited?” Harry asked, looking at you with a confused expression on his face.

“ _What happened?_ ” You snapped, wiping the blood away from your eyes. “We were gone less than an _hour_! When Dean and I came back – everyone was gone.”

Griphook narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. 

Dean pushed you behind him just as you stood in front of Luna and Ollivander. 

“ _Goblin_!” Peter shrieked. 

“Let her go!” Ron shouted; his hands red from slamming on the door. 

“Back, back!” Peter yelled.

A few minutes went by in silence when you heard Hermione screaming again. 

“ _Get me the animagus_!” Bellatrix muffled scream echoed down the stairs. 

The blood drained from Dean’s face. Ron grunted and your chest tightened but you tried to steel your nerves. You turned to Dean. “If you have the chance to get out, you get out. Okay, Thomas?”

“Badger, _no_ -”

“Get George my letter, okay? Muriel knows where my parents are. Promise me Dean,” you said, grabbing at his cold hands. “ _Say it_!”

“I promise!” He said. 

“We won’t let them take you,” Ron said, his face flushed. “They can’t just pick us off one by one!”

You took a deep breath and frowned when Harry pulled off his shoe. You shot him a look but he was too distracted by a reflective paper he pulled out triumphantly. 

“You’re bleeding Harry. That’s a curious thing to keep in your sock,” Luna said, looking at the blood trailing down his leg.

“Is that a mirror?” You whispered harshly. 

Harry ignored you and hissed at the mirror. “Help us!”

Ron glared at the door and you heard the footsteps. 

Suddenly a familiar figure apparated into the dungeon. 

“ _Dobby_?” You and Harry sputtered. “What are you doing here?”

“Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter!” Dobby said with a smile. “Dobby will always be there for Harry Potter.”

“Are you saying you can apparate in and out of this room? Can you take us with you?” Harry asked, glancing at you. 

“Of course, sir, I’m an elf,” Dobby said, following Dobby’s eyes. “Miss! Oh, so happy to see you! Oh, what a large cut you have on your head.”

“Hi Dobby,” you said, reaching out to pat his back. He beamed at you. “How are you?”

The footsteps came nearer. “ _How are you_?” Ron asked, bewildered. “Are you serious?”

“I’m being polite!” You said defensively. 

“Right, Dobby,” Harry said, stepping forward. “I want you to take Badger, Dean, Luna, and Ollivander to-”

“-Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth,” Ron said, interrupting. “Trust me.”

Harry nodded but you immediately shook your head. “Absolutely not, I’m not leaving you three here alone.”

“Badger,” Harry warned. 

“ _No!_ ”

“We don’t have time for this!” Ron hissed. He turned to you and grabbed your hands. “Please, there’s something you don’t understand – you need to go with them.” 

The footsteps were right above you at this point. You growled, annoyed and nodded.

“If you die, I’m going to _wring_ your neck Weasley,” you said, giving Harry a quick squeeze.

“Whenever you’re ready Sir,” Luna said, taking Dobby’s hand. 

“ _Sir_?” Dobby said, smiling. “Oh, I like her very much.”

You grabbed Dean’s hand, who took Luna’s hand, and glared at Ron. 

“Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds,” Dobby said. 

You shut your eyes as soon as you felt the tug at your spine. You tentatively opened them and saw the ocean. 

“Be right back!” Dobby said.

“Be careful Dobby,” you said gripping his hand.

He beamed at you before disappearing.

“Where are we?” You asked Dean, glancing around you. 

“I don’t know,” Dean said, his hand gripping onto yours tightly. 

“Badger!” Luna said lightly, coming over to you from where she’d landed. 

“Oh, Luna, we’ve been so worried,” you said, reaching out to hug her. She laughed and returned the hug. 

“Mr. Ollivander was good company,” she said, leaning forward to whisper. “I do believe he’s a bit weak from his time there.”

You glanced over her shoulder and realized what she’d meant. It was clear that his time at the Malfoy Manor had not done him any good. In the light of day, it was painfully obvious how emaciated and sickly he looked.

“I’m sorry sir,” you said quietly, “if I had my wand, I’d transfigure something for you to sit on.”

“English Oakwood with a core of Unicorn Hair, eleven and half inches, very inflexible – if I’m not mistaken?” Ollivander said. “A very loyal wand for a loyal witch. Good a dueling, charms, and…transfiguration.”

“Yes,” you said quietly. “Do you really remember every wand you’ve ever sold?”

His eyes twinkled. “Every single one.”

A loud popping noise made you instinctively shift. Forgetting your audience, you planted yourself in front of Dean and growled. 

“It’s us,” Ron said, rushing up to cradle Hermione.

You transformed back and ran up to where they were sitting. “Is she okay?”

“Hermione!” Harry screamed.

You looked up and a few yards away was Harry, kneeling over a small body.

“Is that-” you gasped, hand coming up to your mouth. 

“ _No_!” Harry screamed. 

“What happened?” You said, turning around to stare at Ron.

“Bellatrix,” Ron said.

Your heart felt heavy as you watched Harry cradle Dobby. Your brain couldn’t understand – he was _just_ here, a few minutes ago and now he was dead. You owed him your life. He was your friend; he was _innocent_ and now he was dead. Your friend was _dead._

The memory of finding Ted, thrown against the tree, flashed through your mind. 

“We all owe him our lives,” Luna’s dreamy voice said and you realized you’d spoken out loud. “It’s okay to cry, you know.”

You blinked and her hand came to pat your back as you collapsed into the sand next to Harry and cried. Your chest felt like it was being ripped apart. Your skin was too tight; the sun – it was shining too bright. Everyone kept dying. You wanted clouds, thunder, and _darkness_. 

You hid your face into Harry’s shoulder and wept. His slippery hand came up to your arm but you couldn’t comfort him. You could only cry. You cried for Sirius, for Ted, and for Dobby. 

“Badger?” Ron asked hesitatingly, he handed you back your wand.

Before you could get your voice to work, a pair of strong arms were hauling you to your feet. 

Instinct had you flinching away, your wand pointing towards the hands, when a familiar voice said: “It’s me! It’s me!”

You turned to see Bill’s relieved face and you gaped. Bill - he was _here_. You threw your arms around his shoulders. “Where - _how_ are you here?”

Ron, who held Hermione up, pointed to a small cottage near a hill. Fleur was walking towards you, eyes worried. She rushed forward, going to Hermione first.

“Come, ‘urry, we must go inside,” Fleur said, her hand coming to squeeze your shoulder. “I am so ‘appy to see you.”

“You’re alive!” Bill exclaimed; relief evident on his face.

“’Course I am,” you said, confused. You untangled yourself from Bill and felt silly. “I’m sorry I threw myself at you - I just - it’s been so long since I’ve seen any of you-” you stumbled over your words. “Are you all okay, everyone’s alive? Is this – is this _your_ house?”

“Yeah, we live here now. We’re all a bit exhausted but everyone is alive. Mum, Dad and the others are hiding at Muriel’s. I’m so glad to see you! We’re all okay, aside from the twins,” he said and frowned. “Which, actually-” 

You watched a silver bird erupt from his wand and he talked to it. “Find Fred, tell him that they both need to come to the cottage immediately.” He glanced at you and huffed an incredulous laugh. “Tell him I found a Badger.”

“What - what was that? What’s wrong with George?” You asked him, watching Harry warily as you all walked back to the cottage.

Bill sighed. “When - when they found Ted Tonks and Dirk Coswell - we knew that you were traveling with Griphook and Dirk from your last letter. Once they were found, well, George didn’t take it too well. We all assumed...”

You blinked; mind unable to process what he was insinuating.

“We thought that you’d died too,” Bill whispered. “Mum was beside herself, said we needed to find your body. Ginny wanted to come home, Remus and Tonks were devastated – it’s a mess really.”

“W-what?” You said eventually, your voice returning. “George? Fred?”

“It’s like a light shut off in both of them,” Bill said quietly. “Dad was trying to be positive. ‘Said we couldn’t assume anything but I knew he was only keeping it together for George. We should’ve listened to him really.”

They thought you had died with Ted – _oh no_. 

“ _No_ ,” Harry shouted suddenly, jerking away from Dean. You turned, mind returning to the present. “I don’t want to use magic to bury him.”

You watched Dean and Luna nod. Then, Luna dropped to her knees and started digging a hole by the grass with her hands. Without a second thought, you kneeled next to them to help. 

“I’m going to go check on Hermione,” Bill told you quietly. “I’ll be right back.”

Nodding, you focused on digging. You kept your eyes on the sand and dirt in front of you. If you looked at his body, you wouldn’t be able to continue. 

“He - he needs a stone,” you said quietly, trying to keep your mind occupied from the fact that everyone thought you’d died.

“Here lies Dobby,” Luna said, “a _free_ elf.”

Your eyes welled and you turned to Harry, who looked hollowed out. “Yeah,” you took his hand in yours, “that’d be nice.”

Harry nodded, his eyes red. “Yeah,” he said, exhaling deeply.

* * *

Watching Luna disappear through the sand dunes, you waved back at her enthusiastic goodbye. 

“Hey,” you said, sitting down in the sand next to Harry, “it’s really nice to see you. I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Harry’s solemn expression shifted at your words. He turned to look at you for the first time in months and you smiled at his laugh. “I’m glad you’re not dead too.”

You wrapped an arm around his shoulders and he sighed. “I didn’t know you were an animagus.” 

Shrugging, you leaned your head atop of his. “No one was supposed to know. Dean caught me off guard when we ran into each other in Scotland. We stuck together. I wanted to keep him safe after Ted - after what happened. He’s just a kid, you’re all just kids.”

“Oi, I was keeping you safe too!” Dean shouted from the shore, where he was gathering rocks to surround the headstone.

You raised your hand dismissively and he scrunched his face at you. 

“How’s horcrux hunting?” You asked quietly.

“Not as easy as I thought,” Harry sighed.

You snorted. “I could’ve told you that.”

“Hermione kept telling me we should’ve called for you – I didn’t want to put you in danger. I didn’t know you’d gone into hiding,” he said quietly. “Ron’s been really put out these last few weeks. I didn’t know he’d thought you’d died. I think he wanted to keep it from us.”

“S’alright, the past few months have been a wild ride,” you said, taking his hand and squeezing it. “I’m here for whatever you need.” 

Harry straightened. “What’s that?” You turned to where he was pointing and saw two hooded figures suddenly appear at the doorstep of the cottage. Fleur opened the door and you stood, dusting the sand off your hands. Reaching for your wand, you took two steps in front of Harry. 

“Where are Hemione and Ron?” You whispered, your hand tightening against your wand. You glanced at Dean, who was hidden by the sand dunes. 

“Inside,” Harry answered, his body tense. 

The visitors then took their hoods off and your heart jumped into your throat. The grip on your wand loosened.

“Is that-” your voice cracked.

“Fred and George,” Harry said, dropping his hold on your arm. 

As if they could hear Harry, both heads turned towards you. Fred’s face immediately broke out into a grin but your eyes focused on the other twin running in your direction. You felt your feet move you forward and you slammed into his tight embrace.

George’s hands flittered over your shoulders, your neck, your face - everywhere. His eyes roamed over your body, widening with every bruise and scar he found. You pushed his hair away from his face and realized you were both crying.

“You’re alive,” he said quietly, wondrously, “you’re _alive_.”

Without letting you respond; he slammed his lips onto yours. You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal fervor. Coming up for air, you leaned your forehead against his. Your whole body sang, the air rushing back into your lungs, rejuvenated. 

_George was here. He was alive and okay._

“‘Course I am,” you said eventually with a small smile, “I had to get back to you, didn’t I? I reckon I look better than you and I’m the one that’s been living in the woods.”

A heaviness lifted from George’s gaze. Blinking at you for a moment, he threw his head back and laughed loudly.

“Blimey, we’ve been here two minutes and you’ve already gotten him to laugh,” a voice said from over George’s shoulder. “The most I get is a half smirk.”

You untangled yourself from George and threw yourself into Fred’s waiting arms. 

“ _Freddie_ ,” you said quietly, “I missed you, you git.”

He laughed, his chest rumbling with the sound and you tightened your hold on him. 

“I missed you too badger,” he propped his cheek on the top of your head, “you didn’t even say goodbye.”

“I’m sorry,” you pulled back and looked up at him, “forgive me?”

“‘Course. It’ll cost you,” he warned with a smile. He pressed a kiss to your cheek and shook his head. “Don’t scare us like that again. I thought I’d lost my best mate.”

“I’m sorry,” you said quickly, “I didn’t know you lot thought I’d _died._ ”

“You stopped writing!” Fred exclaimed.

“It wasn’t safe!” You countered.

“George said his bracelet had turned black and cold,” Fred said. You glanced at his wrist and found it empty. George pulled at a chain around his neck, revealing the thin metal plate. 

“Fenrir ripped it off me, they’d managed to break Dean’s ribs – I couldn’t go back for it,” you said, tone apologetic. 

“ _Break his ribs_?” Fred shouted.

You rolled your eyes. Fred muttered, his movements swift and dramatic. George, in contrast, was subdued. His hand was wrapped tightly around yours, as if assuring himself you were real. 

“Alright, alright,” George said, interrupting Fred’s rambling to tuck you into his side. His hand spread across your ribs; his heartbeat was quick and you realized he was still jumpy. “You’ve got a story to tell us, let’s go inside.”

* * *

The moment you’d all settled, everyone had demanded to know what you’d been through and how you’d managed to avoid the snatchers. You recounted your story, with Dean interrupting a few times, as Bill mended your wounds. Fleur had been tending to Ollivander and Griphook for a few minutes when she’d finally come back down to the living room. 

“Are your ribs okay?” Fleur asked, her familiar accent comforting. “Do you need anymore ‘ealing potion?”

You shook your head and thanked her quietly. She patted your hand and smiled. You sat at the kitchen table, listening to Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they told the others about where they’d been. 

“Bloody hell,” Fred said in the silence after Harry had finished his story. His hand went to his head. “We’ve got to tell mum and the others.”

George, who hadn’t left your side since you’d arrived, straightened. “Bugger.”

“ _You didn’t tell them_?” Bill exclaimed. 

Fred glared at George. “We barely had time to think - your patronus found George first and before I could even _suggest_ it being a trap, he’d threatened to apparate without me.”

Shrugging, George leaned back into his chair.

“You’ve got to send Mum a patronus,” Bill told Fred. “Ginny will be glad to get the news.”

You smiled at the mention of your best friend. You’d wondered how she was - being at Hogwarts. You saw Harry straighten and you realized you weren’t the only one interested.

“She’s back at Aunt Muriel’s - now that everyone knows the Weasleys really are traitors,” George squeezed your shoulders. “She couldn’t go back to Hogwarts.”

Ron shrugged sheepishly and Hermione frowned.

Fred waved his wand and a hyena burst out the end. “Go find Mum and Dad, let them know Badger is at the cottage.”

“Well,” Bill said, sitting up, “I’m sure they’ll be here shortly. I’ll go put water on for tea.”

The others started talking amongst themselves. You glanced at Hermione, who was staring blankly at the fireplace. Frowning, you went to move when you felt George lean his forehead against your temple. 

“Hello,” you said cheekily. 

He huffed a laugh and it fanned over your cheek. “It’s been a long time without you Badger.”

“S’ only a few months,” you said quietly, “and I’m back now.”

“Let’s never be apart like that again,” he said, uncharacteristically serious. “I’m rubbish at going through a day without you there to set us straight.”

“I was gone my entire seventh year,” you reminded him. 

“I saw you every other weekend,” he replied. “I wasn’t walking around with whispers that you’d been - that - they’d _gotten_ you.” He said quietly, the ghost of a pained expression flittering across his face. “After the bracelet went cold-”

“I’m sorry,” you said, tracing one of his furrowed eyebrows with your finger. “I didn’t want to risk sending an owl or muggle post to anyone. After Ted…I was _so_ scared, George.”

His hand came up to your neck, the other bringing you closer to him. 

A sharp knock at the door had everyone standing. Fred darted out the kitchen, his wand up, and you instinctively glanced around the room for Dean. When you found him, he was already walking towards you. His hand was reaching for yours and you calmed a little. 

Bill smiled and Fleur raised her voice. “The wards let them in, it should be fine-”

Before you could say anything else, Fred and George stepped out in front of you and you rolled your eyes but pushed Dean behind you. 

Fleur moved towards the door and checked through the peephole. She smiled and opened it a crack. 

“Where are - where is she - _oh my stars_ ,” Molly’s familiar face shoved through the door – Arthur close behind and you smiled. 

Molly bulldozed her way to you and her arms brought you tightly to her. She immediately started to cry and ran a comforting hand down your hair. 

“My dear girl, we thought - I thought - oh, I’m so happy you’re okay.” You hugged her tightly back. The warm, happy moment was cut short by her pulling you back sharply. “ _What is the matter with you?_ ”

You winced and stumbled back into Dean, who held you up. 

“E-excuse me?” You asked, glancing to George for help.

He crossed his arms and shrugged. 

“Young lady! You just _left_ \- in the middle of the night! No money and no food! No _note_!” She shrieked, pointing her finger at you.

“I told George!” You said defensively.

The man in question frowned and Molly glared at him. “Yes, and he’s gotten a lecture too.” She whirled back to you and you shrunk. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I-I,” you swallowed, “they were doing muggleborn registrations Molly! Everyone at school knew of my connection to the Weasleys-”

“Because we’re _family_! We would’ve hidden you!”

“They were rounding up muggleborns like cattle. We had a death sentence hanging over our heads and… and- too many people knew. They saw how I protected Bill when he was attacked by Fenrir.”

Bill smiled half-heartedly at you and Fleur beamed. 

You straightened and looked towards the twins. “Everyone knows that Fred’s one of my best mates and that I love George.” You turned to Arthur, who looked just as exhausted and worried. “They knew I’d protect Ginny with everything I have - they knew I loved your family and I was _not_ going to let them tear you apart just because of me.”

“We would’ve _protected_ you!” She shouted, her eyes tearing up. “We wouldn’t have let them take you!”

“And that’s why we had to leave. Harry, Hermione, Dean – Ted…that’s why we all left. We knew what you’d all do for us,” you said with a sad smile.

With that, Molly rushed forward and wrapped you into a tight hug. You couldn’t keep your own tears at bay and tried to discreetly brush them away.

“You listen here,” Molly said gently, “you are family, alright? And we protect our family. Besides, everyone knows now - they’ve seen Ron with Harry. So, you keep to us, alright?”

You nodded, tears welling up and Molly smiled, anger appeased. 

“Besides,” Fred said, coming up to squeeze your shoulders. “You’re already a Weasley. We all know you two’ll get married eventually.”

You flushed as Molly laughed lightly, dabbing at her eyes. “Don’t you two get any ideas - you’re still too young!”

“You were my age when you married dad!” George protested and you spun around to face him.

“George Weasley!” You gaped. “We don’t even know if we’ll be _alive_ next week. Two hours ago, you thought I was dead.”

“All the more reason, don’t you think?” George teased, bringing you close to him. “Mrs. Weasley has a nice ring to it.”

You whacked him in the arm and he winced. “ _No_!” You huffed.

“If I had a fragile ego, I’d be devastated right now,” he said, rubbing his arm, “lucky for you, I’m quite determined.”

The tension in the room broke and everyone laughed. You rolled your eyes and huffed. “ _Gryffindors_.”

“Ouch, Harry, get off,” Ron complained from behind you.

At the sound of his voice, you saw Molly’s eyes light up again. They filled with tears as she rushed forward, enveloping Ron and Harry into tight hugs. 

“Oh, I’m so glad you two are safe!” She said, crying.

You smiled at Ron’s pink face and Harry’s pleased expression. “Come on,” you told George, “let’s get some mugs for the tea.”

* * *

By the next evening, you’d all settled in as well as you could into Shell Cottage. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all piled into the first guest room while Griphook, Ollivander, and Dean settled into the second one. Bill and Fleur tried to insist that you take their bedroom but you were comfortable enough on their sofa. 

You frowned at the stove and wondered if you should make enough for Fred. He’d left with Molly and Arthur but promised he’d be back soon. He visited as often as he could without looking suspicious – George, however, had all but taken over the sofa with you. 

Glancing up the stairs, you wondered if Ollivander would prefer soup. 

Ollivander had been held hostage by Voldemort for over a year, and to be quite honest, his appearance frightened you. He was a shadow of the man you remembered – but his eyes, they were bright as ever. A good night’s rest seemed to have rejuvenated him as he’d already asked to go take a look at the water. After checking his vitals, you were sure he’d be strong enough to travel in a week. 

Molly had insisted he be moved to Muriel’s – as there was more room and he’d have more space to himself. You’d love to see straight-laced Muriel interact with Ollivander. 

Sighing, you decided that an abundance of food was better than too little. You wondered if Griphook had a preference – then quickly shook your head. Who cared if he didn’t like it? He was welcome to cook his own food if he’d wanted to.

 _Although_ , your mind started. You huffed and glanced at the ingredients on the counter. The goblin had been injured during his time at Malfoy Manor. It might do him good to have a soup with some of the healing potions you’d recently made. It would mask the taste and still work just as efficiently. 

Dean had tried to talk to him a few times but had always come back without any new information. You had yet to run into him – and hadn’t attempted to reach out – as he spent all his time in his room. Fleur or Harry took his meals to him twice a day but, beyond that no one besides Ollivander saw him much. It seemed he’d traded in a prison for another one.

You’d only just started chopping some carrots when you heard a shout. 

“Mail’s here!” George called out from the garden. You heard him laugh and turned towards the window to see what he was laughing at. “Badger – someone’s here to see you.”

You wiped your hands and walked towards the back door. You squinted against the bright sunset and a soft, feathery body hit you in the chest.

“ _Oomph_ ,” you grunted, cradling your hand instinctively.

Helga chirped excitedly, her wings flapping and you shrieked. “Helga!” You tucked her wings into her and wrapped your arm around her. 

“Fred’s been taking good care of her when he’s been home,” George said, “you would’ve thought it his job.”

“Hello,” you said, eyes tearing up, “have you missed me?”

She nipped at your finger lightly, her eyes brightening. You smiled and rubbed her head. “Oh, I missed you too! Have you been a good girl? Keeping Fred and George company?”

Helga flapped her wings and propped herself up on your shoulder. She burrowed her face into your hair and you laughed.

“These are for you,” George said, handing over a handful of letters. “The one from Tonks is physically shaking, I’d open that one before it explodes.”

The smile on your face froze and you wrapped your hand around the envelope with her handwriting. Ted’s letters were still safely hidden in his book in your pack. 

“What’s wrong?” George asked, brows furrowed. He ducked and tried to catch your eyes.

“What if…what if she blames me?” You asked George softly, your fingers playing with the edge of the envelope.

“Badger, she doesn’t blame you. She was _gutted_ ,” George wrapped an arm around your waist. “So was Remus…they thought you’d died with him. She knew the risks when you both went into hiding. We all did.”

“I always feel so guilty,” you said, swallowing down a cry, “I wasn’t there when he died, George. I wasn’t there to protect him.”

“Love,” George rubbed your back. “I’m sorry but, it’s not your fault.”

You stayed like that for a moment, allowing yourself to lean on him. After a few minutes, you gathered all your energy and stepped back. George lifted his arm and Helga hopped onto it.

“Here goes nothing,” you said, breaking the seal. 

_Dear Badger,_

_You absolute git. I cannot believe you had me crying over you when you’ve been alive all this time. An owl would’ve been lovely! I honestly cannot believe you. I was suffering through acid reflux, my daughter kicking me so hard she broke a rib, SEVENTY-ONE HOURS of labor…_

You blinked back happy tears. “She had a girl?” You asked, looking up at George. 

“What?” George frowned. “No, she gave birth to a boy – last week.” 

You frowned and looked back down at the letter.

_Alright, I’m done being a bloody asshole. I know you were probably scared to write – to anyone. Molly says you look haunted. I really must make this absolutely clear; I love you very much and I’m so glad you were able to escape whatever it was that happened in the forest. This goes without saying but I know how stubborn and noble you are so here it is: it’s not your fault. Dad was murdered by death eaters and nothing you could’ve done would have prevented that. It feels like a hole was carved out of my heart and I know you must feel horrible. Please don’t._

_I’ve really bloody missed you. So much so, that I’ve taken to visiting Muriel in your absence. She has shocked everyone and seems to adore Teddy. I’m absolutely sure that you will too._

_Be safe and visit when you can. We’re all alright on our end._

_All my love,_

_Tonks_

_P.S. Obviously, you and Harry are his godparents, so hurry up and come over to meet him soon._

_P.P.S. I should clarify, I was just taking the piss out of you earlier. It’s a boy. We named him after Dad but Remus calls him Teddy._

_P.P.S Remus really won’t let me live down the fact that he was right, so do not mention it in front of him or it really won’t end._

You laughed wetly, sliding a small photograph out of the envelope. Tonks had bright pink hair, her smile was wide and awed. Remus looked unbearably happy and between them was a sleeping baby wrapped in a yellow blanket. 

“Oh, he’s _lovely,_ ” you said quietly. 

“Takes after Tonks,” George said, looking at the photograph. “Shocked us all when he transfigured his hair blue.”

“He’s a metamorphmagus?” You asked, surprised. “He’s got to be, what, two or three weeks old?”

“Yeah,” George smiled. “Tonks’ mum says Tonks’ transfigured her nose into a snout when she was about a day old. He looks a bit like Lupin from what I can tell.”

You glanced down at the other letters. You recognized Muriel, Lyall, Ginny, Luna, and Hagrid’s handwriting. 

“Come on,” George said, taking your hand in his. “I’ll start on dinner while you go through those.”

Grinning, you looked up at him. He glanced down at you and smiled when he saw your grin. 

“What?” He asked, gently lowering Helga onto the windowsill. She chirped and settled into the wood. 

“I’m so glad I get to do this with you,” you admitted.

“Do what?”

You shrugged. “This,” you motioned to the kitchen, “co-exist with you again. I really – I took it for granted before. The forest – being with Ted and Dean…it was quite lonely. I hadn’t realized how lucky I was to have had you all at my side.”

“Oi, don’t get all soft on me now,” he joked, pressing a kiss to your temple. “But just so you know, I missed you beyond my ability to articulate.”

Smiling dopily at him, you found some paper and a pen and started writing your letter back to Tonks. 

* * *

“Careful,” George said, pointing out a splintered piece of wood in the sand. You jumped over it and smiled at him. “How do you feel?”

You sighed and looked out towards the ocean. The constant sound of the waves was soothing to you. 

“You alright?” George asked, raising his hand to block out the sun. 

It was midday and the last week of April. You’d been at the cottage for a few days and had come to a few realizations in that time.

A seagull cawed above you both and you flinched. George glanced up and you frowned. 

It seemed that you’d become incredibly sound sensitive. Everything was just…so _loud._ You were so used to the stillness of the forest, of needing to be quiet. So much so that you weren’t adjusting well to ambient noises. You were jumpy in a way you weren’t before and you couldn’t seem to snap out of it. 

You knew the cottage was under a Fidelius charm, Bill and Fleur had both reassured you that you couldn’t be found, but there was still a pit in your stomach. Every night, before bed, you’d set up wards around the house. It had become somewhat of a ritual – one you couldn’t stop. Even now, as you’d left the cottage, you’d double checked them all. 

Harry had mentioned something similar, how he was having trouble being in one place for too long. He didn’t want to put a target on anyone’s back. 

“Badger?” George said, touching your shoulder.

You blinked and frowned at how easy it was to get lost in your own head. “Sorry,” you said, “I was thinking.”

“About what?” He asked.

“Ollivander,” you lied. “I think I need to make him a sleep drought, he’s always up before the sun. He needs to rest.”

George shot you a knowing look but didn’t push the subject. You squeezed his hand and let him lead you to closer to the water.

“How mad would you be at me if I threw you in?” George asked.

You immediately dug your heels into the sand. “Very, _very_ , mad.”

He wrapped his arms around your waist and you shrieked. “George! Don’t you dare!”

“You’re so easy,” George said, laughing. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and chuckled once more. “If I threw you in, I’d have to sleep with one eye open.”

“I’d adjust the wards not to let you in,” you threatened.

“ _Pfft_ ,” he waved his hand, “you wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t I?” You asked, kicking up sand at him. He sputtered as sand hit him in the arm and you grinned.

“Badger…” George narrowed his eyes at you before you giggled and ran off ahead of him. “Badger!” He shouted, taking off after you.

You laughed, trying to keep your footing in the sand but it was futile. You’d only made it a few feet when you felt George catch up to you.

“Got you!” He said, tucking you into his chest. 

“No fair,” you panted, “your legs are twice as long as mine.”

“I could’ve been blinded,” he said exaggeratedly. 

You rolled your eyes. “It’s only sand, you numpty.”

“ _Blinded_ ,” he said, eyes wide.

Laughing, you shook your head and reached out to run your fingers through his hair. The sun was behind him now, making the red strands glisten. You’d missed moments like these – small pockets of feeling weightless and carefree. 

“What do I win?” George asked.

“For what?”

He frowned. “For catching you!”

You pretended to think for a moment before scratching his scalp. “My eternal love and admiration?”

“Well, I’ve already got that, don’t I?” He scoffed.

You tugged on his hair and he laughed lightly.

“How about a kiss?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Laughing, you reached up and pecked his cheek. You snorted when you saw his disgruntled expression.

“What the bloody hell was that?” He demanded.

“A kiss?” You asked, biting back a smile.

“What are we, fifty?” He tightened his hold on your waist, one his hands drifting lower. 

“We’re in public,” you reminded him, pinching him.

“There’s no one around,” he said, grinning. “So that means, I can do – _this_.”

He bent down and pressed his lips to yours. George bent around your sharp edges, his touch soft and careful. You deepened the kiss and smiled when he made a soft noise. You wanted to bottle that sound and carry it with you forever. 

Eventually, you both leaned back for air. 

“Was that enough for you?” You teased, fixing his hair from where your fingers had tugged on it. 

George smiled. “I could spend the rest of our lives together and not have enough of you.”

You blinked, taken aback by his genuine response. His smile softened and your heart tripped over itself. “George Weasley,” you said, shaking your head. “You really are capable of being smooth.”

Laughing, George shook off some of the remaining sand on his shirt. “I’d really be hurt by that if I thought you meant it.”

“Oh, I mean it,” you said, walking back towards the cottage. 

“ _Oi_!”

“Remember when you accidentally gave me gills in fifth year?” You asked. “Or when you turned my skin blue? Or that time you set off a _dungbomb_ in my room?”

“In all fairness, that last one was an accident!”

You laughed and reached for his hand. “I know,” you said, “I love you.”

George smiled. “I love you too.”

Your stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and George snorted. “Come on, let’s walk back.”

The cottage quickly came into view and you tried to think of what you could both cook for everyone. You turned to George, about to ask if he had any cravings, when loud pop went off behind you. Before you could even comprehend what was happening, your instinct overtook your logic and you found yourself on four feet. Your growl was deep and clear with warning. 

Your vision narrowed and you could hardly hear anything over your heartbeat. Eyes darting around, you searched for more snatchers. 

_They can’t get Dean – you need to keep each other safe. Ted…_

Chest heaving, you whined when you found no strange scent. You couldn’t see…where were they?

_The moment you made it through the clearing, you knew something was wrong. It was too quiet…where’s his body? We need to find his body. Dean!_

“Stop it,” you heard George snap at someone. “Give her a moment!”

 _George?_ You shook your head. Blinking, the dark spots disappeared from your vision and you saw George crouched in front of you. His head was tilted to the side and he was in a low bow. Instinctively, your growling stopped. 

“That’s it,” he said, his voice soothing. “We won’t hurt you. You’re safe – you’re at the cottage. It’s just Bill. He didn’t know we were outside. He was apparating back from Muriel’s.”

You glanced over George’s shoulder and saw a guilty looking Bill. Whining, you laid down on the sand and George smiled.

“It’s alright,” he said, placing a hand on your head. He scratched at your ear and you sighed. You closed your eyes and tried to focus. 

You opened them a moment later and found yourself sitting cross-legged in the sand. “I-I’m sorry, Bill.” Your voice was hoarse. “I didn’t mean to do that…I don’t know what– I-”

Bill shook his head. His smile was soft and his eyes understanding. “I’m sorry mate, I didn’t know you two were out here. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You okay?” George asked, crouched in front of you.

“ _Peachy_ ,” you said, closing your eyes and sighing heavily.

“Seriously,” Bill said, walking off towards the cottage, “don’t think anything of it.”

You waved him off and let George pull you up to your feet.

“Love…” George said tentatively.

You groaned, letting your head fall back. “I’m losing my _mind_ , George.”

“No, you’re not,” he said firmly. “You’re not the only jumpy one in the house. Hermione barely talks over a whisper, Dean always sneaks out past us to check the wards at night, Ron pretends like nothing is happening – you’re all coping in the best way you can.”

“I could _bite_ one of you,” you said, a headache blooming at your temples. “I’m so _embarrassed_ -”

“There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” George said, tilting your chin up to look at him. “Listen to me. We’ve all been through it. You spent months looking over your shoulder – that habit isn’t going to go away in the week and half you’ve been staying here.”

“I should be better than this,” you said, frustrated. “I _need_ to be better than this.”

“And you will be, in _time_ ,” George said. “Give yourself time to heal. You all do.”

“ _We don’t have time_!” You said, exasperatedly wrapping your arms around yourself. 

“We might not,” George conceded, his voice soft, “but we have some time _now_ and we’ll have more eventually. Hey, look at me.”

You looked up at him again and frowned when you saw his worried expression.

“Do it for me,” he said quietly, “since you won’t do it for you.”

“Do what?”

“Be patient with yourself,” he said, wrapping his arms around you.

Your arms found their way around his waist and you burrowed into his chest. “What if I never go back to the way I was before?”

“I don’t think any of us will be able to, love,” George said, kissing your forehead. “We just have to make do with what we have. I know we’ll be alright, not all day everyday but eventually the small happy moments become bigger. The good will overtake the bad and we’ll be alright.”

Propping your chin on his chest, you finally smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

He shook his head. “S’nothing.”

“No,” you said, reaching up to kiss him. “It’s everything.”

George smiled, his hand coming up to cup your cheek. “Small steps?”

“Small steps,” you repeated. You placed your hand over his and kissed his palm. You snorted suddenly, remembering something.

“What?” George asked, guiding you back towards the front door.

“I understand why Moody was so paranoid now,” you said, shaking your head. “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to be an Auror.”

“I could say the same about Healers,” George said, shivering exaggeratedly. “I’ve seen you stitch open, bloody, wounds.”

You frowned. “It’s like sewing!”

“ _Right_ ,” George said, opening the door for you. 

“It’s easy really,” you joked.

George rolled his eyes. “Okay, nutter.”

* * *

“Are you sure?” You asked Ron, a fifth time.

“Merlin’s beard woman,” he huffed, “it’s alright – we’ve got it from here. Besides, I’ve got a feeling my brothers aren’t letting you leave their sight.”

“They’re not the boss of me,” you huffed.

Ron rolled his eyes. “I know,” he said, “but we’re already pushing it with Griphook and Harry under the cloak. You wouldn’t fit.”

“I’m an animagus,” you said dryly. 

“Yes,” Harry said, joining you both with the goblin coming up behind him. “An animagus that has been outed to a group of snatchers and the Malfoys.”

You crossed your arms, mildly put out.

“If we needed an extra pair of hands, I’d tell you,” Harry said with a small smile. “You look wrung out, Badger. Stay with Bill, Fleur, and Dean. Take a deep breath for a moment, it’s overdue.”

You scuffed the tip of your shoe into the sand before inhaling deeply. “I don’t know if I know how to anymore,” you admitted quietly.

“This is a good place to remember,” Harry whispered back, gesturing to the beach. “I’m sure we’ll be calling for you shortly anyway.”

Snorting, you glanced at Griphook and raised an eyebrow. “What?” You asked him.

“I knew you were an animagus,” he said, beady eyes watching you, “and I kept silent.”

“What do you want? A medal?” You asked, crossing your arms. You hadn’t liked the goblin in the forest and you still didn’t like him here.

“Is my silence not worth anything?” He asked. “I watched you bury that elf with Harry Potter. You cried over his grave.”

“I asked no favors from you,” you replied, “and that elf’s name was Dobby. He was my _friend_ and he saved our lives.”

Griphook watched you, eyes curious. “He tried to warn you, before they took his life,” he said quietly. “He tried to conjure a patronus but they were too quick. I tried to help, but they captured me first. He…tried to save me as well. They tortured me, wanting to know who he was trying to contact. I kept silent, in payment to him.”

Tears sprung to your eyes and you immediately turned. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction in seeing you cry.

“That’s enough out of you,” Ron hissed. 

“It’s alright,” you said, hand on Ron’s arm. Wiping your tears, you turned back. “What do you want?”

“The answer to a question,” Griphook said, the usual malice in his eyes absent. 

“What question?”

“You never liked me, from the moment we found each other in the forest. Just as I didn’t like you. Yet, I suspect it was you who left me the balm for my arms that night. Why?” He asked.

You frowned. “You were hurt and I’m a Healer,” you said.

“I’m a goblin,” Griphook said plainly.

“I’m a muggleborn,” you said back.

He shot you a confused look and shook his head. “A wizard is a wizard regardless of blood status.”

“Griphook, I don’t dislike you because you’re a goblin,” you said, “I dislike your attitude and condescension. From the moment we met, you decided you didn’t like me. My attitude was only in reaction to yours. You were in pain and I wanted to help. It was that simple.”

He frowned, his eyes moving towards Harry who was looking out towards the sea. His eyes found Dobby’s headstone before they turned back to you. 

“W-was it quick?” You asked, already dreading the answer. “Did…did they torture him?”

Griphook shook his head once. “He was gone in an instant.”

You nodded, clenching your jaw tightly. You didn’t know if that was better or worse.

“Merlin’s beard,” Ron said, jumping slightly. You turned and had to bite back a shriek. 

“Well?” Bellatrix said, in a distinctly Hermione sounding voice. “How do I look?”

Harry blinked and Ron frowned. “Hideous.”

“Alright,” Harry said, turning to look at you. “Keep an eye out.”

You nodded and turned to Bella– _Hermione–_ and smiled. “Be careful, please.” You caught Griphook’s gaze and nodded. 

He returned the nod and you walked back into the cottage.

Dean was sitting at the table with a sleepy looking Fred. “They’ve gone then?” Dean asked.

You nodded, chewing on your bottom lip.

“Come on,” George said, grabbing your hand. “There’s pancakes to be made. Besides, I’m sure Tonks’ll manage to break away from Remus and find her way here if you don’t write her a letter. Errol’s been refusing to leave until you write mum and Ginny back. I’m pretty sure there’s an owl from Lyall as well.”

You huffed. “I didn’t know I was so popular.”

“That’s what happens when you reanimate from the dead,” Fred said, smirking. “People want proof.”

* * *

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Fleur said as she filled up all the empty glasses of wine. “Ollivander sends ‘is regards. ‘e says ‘e is grateful for our ‘elp and ‘opes to see us soon.”

You raised your glass and smiled. “Cheers to that.”

George raised his glass and took a long drink. You left yours on the side table, a pleasant buzz already settled in your chest. 

“I wonder how Muriel and Ollivander are getting on,” you said, leaning back into the couch and under George’s arm. 

“I’m sure Muriel’s already planning how to murder him in his sleep,” Fred said, “The Malfoy’s haven’t got anything on that ol’ bat.”

Bill snorted and shot you an apologetic look.

“She’s not that bad!” You insisted. 

George, Fred, Bill, and Fleur shot you a look.

“You guys just haven’t gotten the chance to know her,” you said, you turned to Dean. “She’s really not that bad.”

“She told me I needed to practice my defensive magic before I got the other side of my face scratched,” Bill said dryly.

“She told Ginny she needed to learn to be more ladylike or she’d never get married,” Fred said.

“I mean, I didn’t say she was bloody Mother Theresa,” you mumbled. “She’s just not as bad as you all paint her to be. She grew up in a different era, you’ve got to ease her into – oh, _sod off,_ all of you.”

The boys all threw their heads back and laughed. Fleur, shot you a sympathetic look and Dean smiled at you. 

“She is not that bad,” she said tentatively and you rolled your eyes.

“Alright, alright,” you said, “well – I got Arthur’s letter earlier today. He said Ginny should be able to visit sometime this week.”

“She keeps pestering me about seeing you,” Fred said. “She’s going a bit mad in the house with everyone.”

“I would be too,” Bill said, “you know how mum gets when she’s worried.”

Fred stood up, a hand on his stomach and pointed towards the back door. “Anyone else fancy a walk to the water?”

Dean grinned. “Yeah, I wanted to practice on my patronus.”

Fred’s eyes lit up. “I can help you mate.”

“Oh, yes,” Fleur said with a smile. “That sounds lovely. _Mon coeur_?”

Bill downed the remainder of his wine and nodded. “Yeah,” he said, stretching, “some air sounds nice.”

You pointed towards the table where the remnants of your meal were growing cold. “Let me clean up and we’ll meet you there.”

“ _Non_ ,” Fleur shook her head. “I can do it-”

“Ah,” you said, raising a hand, “you agreed to start letting me help around the house more!”

Fleur sighed and Bill snorted. “Come on love, she’s got magic – it won’t take long.” Fleur let Bill guide her out the door and you smiled.

“You can go,” you told George, “it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“I’ll help,” George said, with a flick of his wand, the dishes flew to the sink and started washing themselves. “Well, would you look at that.”

You smirked.

“Everything is all cleaned up, what should we do with our extra time?” He asked with an exaggerated pensive expression.

“We could go outside, like they’re expecting us to,” you said, turning towards the door.

“ _Or_ -” George’s hand stopped you, “-hear me out. What if we use up the extra five minutes we have and do something else?”

You raised your brow and he grinned. 

“And what exactly was it that you had in mind?” You asked, stepping closer to him.

George wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close. 

“Shall we talk about politics? Quidditch?” You said, tapping your chin.

“Maybe something with less talking,” George said.

“Dancing?” 

George wiggled his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t mind a different type of dance- _ow!_ ”

“Don’t be a pervert George Weasley,” you said, bringing your arms up to his neck. 

“You’re giving me mixed signals, love,” he said, rubbing a hand down your back.

You rolled your eyes. “George.”

“ _Hmm_?”

“Shut up and kiss me,” you said. 

Grinning, he leaned in and pressed a hard kiss to your lips. 

You squeaked in surprise when he suddenly pushed you up against a wall. His lips traveled down your neck and one of his hands crept under the hem of your shirt.

“I think it’s been five minutes,” you said breathlessly.

“Don’t think so,” George said, his voice muffled, “I’ll let you know.”

You giggled when he hit a ticklish patch of skin and licked your lips. “Fred’s going to come back when he realizes we’re not out there.”

“He knows better,” George mumbled.

You ran a hand through his hair and tugged his head back. He blinked at you. 

“Does Fred ever know better?” You asked. 

George sighed and then frowned. 

“What?” You asked. 

“Do you hear that?” He asked. 

You quieted but still didn’t hear anything. “I don’t-”

A low vibrating noise came from beside you. 

George opened the table drawer and before he could dig through it – you felt the coin around your neck jump. 

Your hand flew up to the pendant and a lump settled in your throat. “George, it’s-”

The back door flew open and Bill skidded through it. “Get ready you two,” he said, lifting his hand and the small coin glinted in the light. 

Fred strode in quickly, going directly for the radio and flipping it on.

The sound was on low but there was a clear, familiar, voice. “ _Lightning has struck! I repeat, lightning has struck! Army, this is a call to arms!_ ”

“We’re being summoned,” Bill said solemnly. “Grab your stuff, we’re apparating into Hogsmeade in a few minutes. I’ll reach out to Remus.”

Fleur and Dean flew up the stairs. You took a deep steadying breath.

This was it, the moment that the entire year had been leading towards. George’s arms came around you and your throat tightened. Your entire world would change this evening. While you’d known that was a certainty – now that you were faced with it, you felt your hands go numb. 

You looked at George and his smile gave you courage. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against yours. 

“Are you ready?” He asked quietly, his fingers intertwined with yours. “It seems we’re being summoned.”

You nodded; you were scared, but more than ready. You wrapped your arms around him, burrowing your face into his neck.

“I love you,” you said into his skin, pressing a small kiss to his jaw. “More than bubble gum, popping chocolates, and the sound of the sea.”

“I love you too,” he said, his fingers dancing over your cheekbone. “More than _anything_.”

Your throat tightened.

Dean bounded down the stairs, his coin in his hand. He nodded at you and Fleur smiled nervously.

“Let’s go everyone,” Bill said, reaching out to take Fleur’s hand. George brought your intertwined hands over to theirs and Dean hurried over. 

You glanced at your friends and squared your shoulders. It was now or never. You’d fight until your last breath if you had to.

The radio crackled in the background as you felt the familiar pull in your stomach. The comforting blue of the Shell Cottage faded away in a quick swirl. 

_Lightning has struck, lightning has struck!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here we go!
> 
> The battle of hogwarts is pretty much done - so that should be out in a few days. Keep an eye out? Please keep the comments and messages coming, they quite literally give me _life._

**Author's Note:**

> As always you can find me **[here](https://havecourage-darling.tumblr.com/)** , come say hi, let's geek out about stuff together.
> 
> Thank you, thank you for all the messages on tumblr that anyone has sent! It's so encouraging to see the comments + read your messages. I really appreciate it! Chapter two should be up in a few days.


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